The Warrior, the Queen, and the Scientist
by SigmaFang
Summary: One minute, we were all on the cruiser, and the next, everything went black. Most guys I guess would say that being on a barren planet with two beautiful women would be a dream come true, but I just wanted to get back home. My name is Cadmus Vanderbilt, and this is the story of how I was stranded on a rim world for six years. (M for every reason imaginable, drugs, sex, violence).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone, yes, I am starting a new story, this time focused on Rimworld! It is based on the first file I ever did. (Though that was a while ago, so in some cases I'll have to really abuse my long-term memory). The only mod I used for the game was prepare carefully. And for those of you who read some of my other works, you'll probably recognize the first three colonists immediately. Happy reading!

Also, this file was played on Beta18, so it might seem a little dated.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

The hum of the starship engines reverberated around the darkness of space, even more so since they were soaring through the galaxy at speeds unheard of. There were eight joint captains of this expedition, three of them were standing at the bridge overseeing the large transport progress to their destination.

Cadmus crossed his arms, standing in the center, "Are we gonna be there soon?" He asked.

"It shouldn't be long, less than an hour, I predict." The analytical deep tone of his associate said, as he turned and looked at Genevieve. "One thing this class of transport is known for is the quality and output of its engines."

"I agree, you've seemed a little antsy ever since we started this venture, if you don't mind me saying." Phoebe, his second cohort, smiled.

Cadmus rolled his eyes and ignored her, facing ahead. Together, the three of them looked like an impressive group. Cadmus was known for his punk, edgy (some would claim overly) style. He had very dark brown eyes, wild black spiky hair, black jeans and boots, and a black leather jacket, with yet another black trench coat over it, although the second coat was hardly fastened and it did little more than flap in the wind most of the time.

The ally to his right, Phoebe, was as beautiful as she was dangerous. She had silver hair that went down her black, glowing red eyes that looked constantly bored, as well as a black choker around her neck. Her outer jacket was brown, mostly covering her white blouse, and her skirt was green, with brown combat boots.

Then there was his the woman to his left, Genevieve. Her long blonde hair reached her thighs, and her green eyes were light, yet piercing. Her lips and nails were black, and she wore a white mini-dress, black tights, and black heels.

"It's gotta be great, doesn't it, boss!" Cadmus heard a scream from behind him.

"Hmm?" He looked behind him. It was one of their engineers, who was positively gushing about something.

"Why, being surrounded by two babes, of course!" He held his hands out, "Two French babes at that…mmm…Genevieve Desrosiers…and Phoebe Monet…holy crap…you must be the luckiest man alive!"

Cadmus looked from Genevieve to Phoebe, both of which looked irritated at this point. He gently brushed past them, slowly heading towards the engineer.

"I mean, look at their racks! They must have been supermodels before they had this job! Jeez! They're looking fine as hell, you must get back in one of the captain's quarters and—"

Cadmus reached out and grabbed him by the neck, hoisting him up in the air. The engineer choked as Cadmus lifted him, "Hey! Hey, boss…w-what are ya doing?"

"Apologize for all the gross things you said, now." Cadmus ordered.

"What…by I mean…come on…they're freaking hot…"

"Sorry, what was that?" He squeezed tighter, "Air is quite a precious resource…you forget about how important it is until…well…you know…"

Cadmus's voice sounded scratchy and gravelly. To that end it wasn't the most eloquent speaking voice. But in cases like these, it made him an even fiercer enemy, as no one liked to be challenged by and angry Cadmus, simply due to the fact that his voice sounded so temperamental. And when he laughed, like he was right at this moment, it sounded like some sort of deranged jackal.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry boss! Won't happen again, I swear!"

Cadmus dropped him to the ground, "Back to your station, and stay out of my sight." When the engineer hastily nodded and scampered off, Cadmus gave an annoyed sigh, "I'll be in my quarters."

The captain's quarters weren't anything too lavish, but, they were nice enough. Honestly, Cadmus was still fuming from the call he got from his sister. Like most other calls, they were psychite induced rants about how she had to 'get out' and move. It was a different place every time. Sometimes a Glitterworld, or an Urbworld. Wherever it was, he never understood. Whatever gene she got for constant travelling seemed to have missed Cadmus.

Not that their parental situation was _anything_ that would pass as normal.

He looked around his room. It wasn't bad. There was a bed and an instant messaging panel nearby it. He quickly looked through any new messages, looking more and more disappointed as he kept reading.

"You know, you're quite chivalrous when people least expect it." He heard the smooth, deep, silky voice of Phoebe at his doorway.

He looked behind his shoulder, "Pfft… _that?_ That shit out there was supposed to be chivalry?" He shook his head, "It's freaking fifty-five hundred. I thought pigs like that died out thousands of years ago."

Phoebe crossed her arms, leaning against the doorway, "Nevertheless, you have our thanks. Genevieve and I."

"I'll keep that in mind." He said, "Freaking men can just be disappointing sometimes…"

"You've seemed to be in a rotten mood ever since we've started this mission."

His shoulders sunk, "Cause my sister's nuts, that's all."

Her smile faded, "I didn't even know you had a sister."

He blinked, "We haven't met until this mission…none of us have." He said, "We were all the eight best picked captains from different regions of space…all united for one common mission." He said, "What, do people just blab all their innermost secrets to you that quickly?"

"When you're as silent and receptive as I am they typically do."

He rolled his eyes, "Anastasia…her name is Anastasia…and we're…complete opposites. I just have no idea what she's doing…and I'm too busy out in space cutting off people's heads to do anything about it."

"I see." She said, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's not just that either…it's my…it's my girlfriend…" He said, "Elspeth. She says if I blow her off on one of our dates one more time, then we're done…"

"You've blown her off before?"

"Yeah…but it's because I had work…out here, in space. Can't really…fit a date in during any of that…so…yeah…I'm just hoping we can finish this peaceful delivery mission or whatever it is as quickly as possible."

"It's a relief effort." Phoebe said, "So perhaps it would be wise to keep you on the bridge."

"Hey." He rolled his eyes, "Be nice."

She snickered to herself as the pair headed back outside to the bridge, Genevieve was still keeping watch.

"Anything going on?" Cadmus asked.

Genevieve shook her head, "There seems to be a bit of a…disturbance…but…we should be fine…"

"Disturbance?"

"An asteroid field." Phoebe said, "Doesn't seem to be a natural one, either."

"Tch…" Cadmus said, "Whose idea was it to fly into it?"

"You heard her, it isn't a natural formation." Genevieve said, "I'm sure we'll sustain negligible damage to the hull. It won't be a problem."

He crossed his arms and nodded, then his eyes widened as he heard the trumpeting of an elephant. His turned around and his jaw dropped, "What the hell? Since when do we have a freaking elephant on this thing?"

Genevieve giggled, running over to the elephant and hugging it, "It's of cultural significance to our destination. They see elephants as a sign of nobility, a sign of strength."

He blinked, "How many other animals do we have on this ship?"

"Lots, I'm sure." Genevieve said, then she smiled and kissed the elephant's trunk, "You are just the cutest, aren't you? Aren't you?" She asked, the elephant nuzzling her in return.

Cadmus and Phoebe exchanged a glance. Genevieve had to have had the deepest feminine voice in the history of mankind. To hear it go up a few octaves was interesting to say the least. She must have been fonder of animals than either of them were aware of.

A horrendous, loud siren began to pulsate throughout the ship. As a sudden shaking began to follow, "Hey! What the hell?" Cadmus, as everyone else, lost their footing. His head whipped over to the two ladies, "I think more than just the hull got fucked up!"

"You're right, sir." One of the engineers said, "One of the asteroids hit our engines, another penetrated our shield generator! We're all going down!"

"What?!" Cadmus frantically looked around, then he more or less shoved Genevieve and Phoebe forward, "Go! Go! To the escape pods! We gotta hurry!"

The shaking only got worse as they continued through the dim halls of the cruiser. Open fires began to start all over the place, as the three of them crammed themselves into what escape pods were available, and hastily head for whatever planet was nearby.

* * *

Three relatively tiny escape pods pounded the grassy field, popping open almost immediately as they landed.

Cadmus lurched up first, gasping as though he had been underwater for an intense period of time, "No…no…" He looked around, "No, no, no…where am I. Where am I? Where the hell am I?" He growled to the sky.

The other two pods opened, revealing Genevieve and Phoebe, as well as a large amount of rations, and the elephant that was cuddling with Genevieve earlier. At this point, Cadmus was screaming mutant swears at the sky for nearly a full minute now. Genevieve reached a hand out, in an attempt to reassure him, but her eyes shrunk, she started vomited all over the ground. It looked quite painful given the amount of screaming she was doing do. She fell to her knees and hugged herself. The elephant, concerned, rushed over to Genevieve's side, resting her trunk on Genevieve's shoulder, almost as if to console her.

Cadmus whirled around, like a maddened beast, "We need to get back." He hissed, "As soon as possible."

Phoebe swallowed hard, obviously she didn't have the heart to tell Cadmus their dismal situation.

"Come on…let's get to work…" Cadmus said, digging through the junk of steel scraps, "We need to rebuild…rebuild something…" He grabbed a few tubes, gears, and wires, "Even if it's a crap box, we gotta leave! Now!"

"Cadmus…" Genevieve said, as she found her voice, "Even though I am the dignified scientist of the cruiser…I cannot just construct a ship out of thin air."

" _Were_ …the dignified…scientist." Phoebe said. When Cadmus and Genevieve looked at her, her bored, stoic expression looked all the more horrifying, "Well, we shouldn't beat around the bush, should we?" She asked, "No one else made it alive out of that. The ship was deteriorating too rapidly. We are most likely the only survivors." She looked around, "Everyone else perished. We were the only ones to get to the escape pods."

"But…there were…were eight captains…" Cadmus said, falling to his knees, "And who the hell knows how many more crew members…" He started shaking, punching the ground over and over again, "Well, we need to get back, right this second! We need to get back!"

"Cadmus…" Genevieve's expression saddened, she looked around. "The only thing we can do now…is…is survive…that's our only choice. It's too remote out here, no one's going to come looking for us."

Cadmus sniffed, "But…but Elspeth…will…" He brushed tears away hastily, though more came, "No!" He pulled at the grass.

Phoebe's eyes slid to Genevieve, "What should we do first?"

"Arm ourselves." Genevieve crossed her arms, "This planet seems to give hospitable temperature, and oxygen…which is good…but…there's no telling what sorts of threats are out there." She started looking through their supplies, "So every little bit will help."

Phoebe took a quite survey around the area, "It's a forest." She summarized, "A familiar biome, at least. This may prove fortunate for us."

Genevieve nodded, her eyes widened and she put a hand over her mouth, taking a few steps to the side to throw up again.

Phoebe picked up the biggest weapon she could find, cocking it and inspecting it as well, "The bolt-action rifle." She said, "I shall take this weapon." She looked from Genevieve to Cadmus, (the latter of which was still crying on the ground), "I do not mean any offense, but I believe it will be the most useful in my hands. I am a proficient marksmen."

Genevieve nodded, "Fair enough." She kept looking around, "Is that the only weapon?" She wondered to herself.

"Cadmus…" Phoebe got to his level and gently put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey." She said, as the two of them shared eye contact, "Do you want me to help you find a weapon?"

Cadmus sniffed, "I have my axe…its…its fine…it never leaves my side. I'll be protected, don't worry…"

"That leaves me with this revolver." Genevieve said, picking up the handgun, "But beggars can't be choosers."

Cadmus stood up, turning towards the elephant, who was nonchalantly munching on some grass, "How the hell did that thing even fit in the escape pod?"

"Well, it was a tight squeeze…but…I'm beginning to think it's fate." Genevieve said, smiling and hugging the elephant, "Isn't that right, missy, isn't that right? Aw, look at you!" She squeezed her tighter. The elephant gave a happy trumpet in return.

Cadmus gave a weak smile, "She have a name?"

"Yes." Genevieve smiled and faced the others, "Her name is Lady."

Cadmus and Phoebe smiled, the three of them all looking at each other with a newfound sense of blind optimism. Like an elephant's prim and proper name was their salvation.

"So what next?" Cadmus asked, giving another fruitful attempt to dry his tears.

"We need a shelter, something for us all to sleep. It would be drastically better to sleep indoors than…just on the ground outside. Considering we have food." She looked at all the packaged survival meals on the ground.

Cadmus nodded, "And we can't leave all this shit out here, we'll build a storeroom, or a shed too."

The girls nodded, "A sound idea." Phoebe said.

Cadmus started looking for an ideal place, "Alright, let's go. We knocked down a lot of trees when we crashed, that'll be our bedroom."

Genevieve and Phoebe exchanged a glance when Cadmus said 'we,' though they all started building nonetheless.

It became increasingly obvious that Cadmus knew what was what when it came to constructing a room. Using the small amount of tools provided to him from the escape pod, he was building wall after wall in no time at all. The other two were struggling.

Cadmus paused when he saw a wooden lump of, something. "The hell is this?" He asked.

"A door." Genevieve blinked at him.

"Yeah…I don't think so…try helping Phoebe with one of those walls, I'll make the door."

Genevieve nodded, taking a small piece of lumber and stabbing it into the ground, securing it nicely, and then looking around, as if sticking a piece of wood in the ground had some sort of great importance.

"What the hell is that?" Cadmus asked.

Genevieve smiled, "You'll find out, in due time."

"Right." He said, looking back towards the room. The frame of the walls seemed to be built, he would have to build a roof next. And maybe a floor, but, they were running low on wood. In order to get more, they would have to all cut down some of the trees. At least they were in a forest.

"Oh, and Cadmus?" Genevieve asked.

"Yeah?"

"Could I trouble you to make me a nice desk?" Genevieve asked, "I promise that if you do, it may speed up our efforts to get off this planet."

Cadmus nodded, "Got it. Once nice desk, coming up."

Morning had long since faded by the time they were all done with their construction projects. And afternoon had half-burned away too.

"Alright…" Cadmus brushed beads of sweat off his forehead, "Our bedroom is done, and I built two storerooms. Got roofs over 'em too." He said, "I'd…build floors…but…we're out of wood. Or…out of free wood, at least." He said, "In order to get any more, we'll have to cut down some of these trees."

"Excellent." Genevieve smiled and crossed her arms, "Now we have all our supplies inside, and I have a nice place to do my preliminary research." She said.

"Yup, supplies are safe." Cadmus said, "Shit…won't the food spoil?"

Genevieve shook her head, "The patent for packaged survival meals came out hundreds of years ago. Guaranteed to never go bad. That's why they're packaged in a yellow seal. It's their emblem." She said, "But…it's still obviously a better idea to keep them inside, so…the wildlife can't get to them."

A piercing shriek was heard from about half a mile away. The trio all got their weapons out, "What the hell was that?" Cadmus asked.

"There's no telling." Genevieve said, "Though I doubt a noise like that bodes friendly intentions."

Cadmus nodded, "Sounded like a war cry." He said, "Let's investigate…"

The three of them snuck slowly through the forest, leaving their encampment behind for the time being. Cadmus brandished his large pitch-black axe. "Phoebe." He whispered, "Pick a tree over there and hide."

"Hmm?" Phoebe asked.

"You're long-range. And we're probably going to come across the enemy soon. Hide now."

She nodded, hiding behind a tree, Genevieve and Cadmus continued on.

"You're short-range…so…stay back a little, but only a little. Phoebe will be our surprise attack from the trees."

Genevieve nodded, "Be careful, you don't know what you're up against."

Cadmus gave a bloodthirsty grin, "I'm armored to the teeth. They won't know what hit 'em."

Their assailant was seen soon enough. She was wearing an animal skin top combined with skintight black pants. Her hair was a black scorpion braid, and her face was overall antagonistic. "Die!" She reared her club back.

Cadmus jumped back, "Genevieve! Fire now!"

Genevieve cocked her handgun, firing away, most of the shots however, went awry.

Cadmus held an arm up, he was wearing such heavy clothing that the blows from the raider's club were hardly doing anything. He had just hoped that one of Genevieve's shots would hit by now.

A wild shot from another direction hit the raider, piercing her shoulder. She screamed in pain as her stance weakened considerably.

Cadmus gave a wicked smirk, Phoebe had come through for him after all. He gave his trademarked jackals laugh, slashing through her body with his axe while she was vulnerable, until she fell to the ground in a large pool of blood.

Genevieve called for Phoebe that it was alright to come out, then she and Cadmus looked at the fallen warrior, "I'm surprised there was only one attacker."

"She dead?" Cadmus asked, "She's gotta be dead."

Genevieve bent down, feeling for a pulse, "She's alive."

Phoebe looked perplexed, "What should we do with her?"

Cadmus shrugged, "Finish her off?"

The girls looked at him like he was crazy, "Jeez…alright…" He said, "Maybe we can find some use for her."

"Please don't say 'eat her'." Genevieve covered her eyes.

"I wasn't." He said, "I was thinking…slave prisoner or something…"

"I agree." Phoebe smiled, "At least somewhat." She said, "We could give her a room, then give her the opportunity to help us. Maybe the four of us could escape together."

"Are you serious?" Cadmus snapped, "She attacked us, and your solution is to just, _forgive_ her so easily? I say we just put her out of her misery."

"I agree with Phoebe." Genevieve said, "Four workers are better than three." She said, kneeling down, "We don't have time to argue. She's losing too much blood." She said, "Phoebe, there was medicine in the pods when we crashed." She explained quickly, "I want you to fetch some of it to me as quickly as possible. I'll doctor her out here." She said, "Cadmus." She looked at Cadmus, "I want you to build a room for her. We'll have to put her in restraints…because if we don't, she'll attack us again."

"Shit, really?" Cadmus asked, "Alright, I'll convert one of the storerooms into a prison cell…then I'll move all the extra stuff over."

"I'll be back with the medicine as quickly as possible." Phoebe ran off.

Genevieve gave a nod, crossing her arms, "Fortunately for you all, I am quite the accomplished neuroscientist. You'll likely never meet a more accomplished individual in the medical field."

* * *

The horseshoe made a rather satisfying clank as it smashed into the pin and twirled around. A direct hit. Phoebe's fifth in a row.

She heard footsteps, turning towards them, "How's the prisoner?"

"Still asleep." Cadmus said, watching her play, "I have a bad feeling about all this. Getting her to help is out is gonna be nearly impossible. I'll probably just get into a yelling match with her, and Genevieve likes her notes and animals way better than people. It's all you."

Phoebe nodded, "I shall take that responsibility, then."

He nodded, watching the sun slowly set on their first hectic day here. He had to admit, hearing Lady triumphantly trumpet off every once and a while sounded nice. Even though he had only known the elephant for a day or two at best, it was nice to have some sort of primal company. The bond Lady and Genevieve shared was admirable, if it made Genevieve happier during her research, then so be it.

Phoebe gave a small playful smile, "Did you want to play with me?"

Cadmus shrugged, "So that's what Genevieve built. A horseshoes pin." He stood at Phoebe's side and picked one up, "I guess it's nice to distract the monotony once and a while." He said, "Still, I kinda hate this game."

"Oh, do you?" Her smile grew, "It's all in the aim."

"Well, that's the thing, I'm a shit shot." He said, "Besides, I prefer letting my axe solve my problems. I was never good at any of that long-ranged crap…it's so much easier just to hack and slash."

"Ah, I see. We're opposites in that regard."

"I mean, you were a pretty good shot." He said, sighing as the sun finally began to set, "Well…I guess Elspeth and I are through…"

Her expression went to one of rue, "Were you two…heavily involved?"

He nodded, "She lived in my damn apartment."

"Aw…I'm so sorry…" She squeezed his shoulder.

He looked down, "Phoebe…are we gonna survive this? Like…seriously…are we?"

Phoebe paused, "I think there's a very good chance, we just need to make sure Genevieve's doing the best she can with her research. It's our main priority."

He nodded, "My sister's probably worried sick…" He said, "And…and now Elspeth and I are done…"

"What was your relationship with her like?"

He shook his head, "It wasn't easy. She was…jealous…very jealous…and…sort of…out there…but…damn it…I loved her…"

"Perhaps I can fill the void in your heart."

"Huh…?"

He turned to face her, but she answered him with a searing kiss. She didn't even bother being polite about it either, her tongue dove straight into his mouth, and her body wrapped around his. Her soft, curvaceous body.

Cadmus backed away, panting, "Phoebe!"

Phoebe smiled, "Having a spiritual connection might enable a lengthier survival."

"A…a…spiritual connection…" He swallowed hard.

"Yes." She said, "I think you and I have a connection. Why don't we try it? It sounded like Elspeth really wore at your vitality, perhaps there are some things I can give you that she couldn't."

"Uh…I…I…"

"Like breasts, assuming where your gaze is."

"Go to hell! I wasn't looking there!"

"Come…" She stepped a little closer, kissing him again, "Let's try it…if we're going to die on this rock, we may as well…go out with a bang…"

* * *

 **A/N:** I kid you not, after the tutorial, I got the 'new lovers' envelope for Cadmus and Phoebe. I feel like the chance of that happening is not very high. Also, I gave Cadmus an axe, because it's his trademarked weapon, and I was…to be honest, a little disappointed at the selection of melee weapons in the game, (though I'm sure there's a mod to add in axes somewhere in the vast Steam network). What did you think? Hope you enjoyed it! Until next time I'll be back with chapter two!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Chapter Two's up now! The recruitment process begins! It's time to see what other work our three colonists get themselves into!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

Morning had arrived quicker than he expected. With the entire settlement bathed in an orange glow from the rising sun, Cadmus got out of bed, scrambled to find one of the packaged survival meals, and sat outside in the grass to start eating it.

Evidently, he was not alone, as Genevieve was sitting next to him, eating a meal of her own.

He peeled the golden label off, chowing down. He had to admit, it tasted better than he thought, (for something that was supposed to last forever, he was incredibly worried about how it would taste, who knows what was in it).

Genevieve swallowed the last bite of hers, "You two made an awful lot of noise last night…"

Cadmus's cheeks turned pink, "Uh…yeah…may or may have plowed her into a tree…"

She looked to the side, "I see."

His blush deepened, "I mean, she kept egging it on…said that…if we were gonna die out here, that…we might as well make the best of it…" He said, "I guess I agreed with her…"

Genevieve stood up, crossing her arms, "It's sensible, to an extent."

Cadmus looked up at her, "Have you figured anything out? Anything?" He asked.

She looked down at him, "I mean…it's going to take a while. I don't have any of the technology we have free access to back at home. I have…a wooden desk, and scraps of paper…at best…it's going to take me a fair amount of time…"

"Right…" He looked down, dejected, "So…uh…I guess…we have over forty meals left…at least…so…that should last us…twenty days or so…if we each have one meal…and it's just the three of us."

"Four of us." Genevieve said, "You forgot about the prisoner. Therefore, out of our forty-four meals will last us approximately eleven days. And that is if we have one meal a day, which is challenging in itself."

"Eleven days…" He said, "Think you'll have us a ship in eleven days?"

She shook her head, "And with eleven days' worth of food, we wouldn't even last long into Jugust."

"Damn it…not even until Jugust?"

"No." She said, "It was the sixth of Aprimay. Today would be the seventh." She said, "I've been keeping a note as to what day it is."

"So…are we screwed?"

"No." She said, "I've noticed a fair amount of deer herds all over the place. Luckily, it seems this planet has familiar flora and fauna, or else we would already be doomed." She said, "Should we hunt the deer for their meat, we would survive for quite a bit of time."

He nodded, "We should honestly leave it to Phoebe…she's got the best shot out of any of us." He said, "Where is she anyway?"

"She woke up before either of us." She said, "Perhaps you rejuvenated her more than you thought."

He turned pink again, swallowing hard, "Let me go talk to her."

He started walking off, "Cadmus, I suggest your task today should be building us a kitchen, and perhaps a freezer, whenever you have time."

He sighed, eventually finding Phoebe by the horseshoes pin. She smiled at him, her voice ten times softer than Genevieve's, and in turn, very pleasant to hear to someone who was just waking up, "Did you sleep alright, with all those bruises?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Cadmus said, "The damn prisoner took up more of our medicine than I did." He brooded, "That bitch better be worth it, after we dumped this much food and medicine in her."

She nodded, "Genevieve told me that she might wake up soon…so soon I'll have to start my negotiations with her." She said, then she smiled, "I suppose having a neuroscientist on our team is quite a fortunate development."

He nodded back, "She said it'll take her at least months before we're outta here…" He said, "So my job today while she researches is to build a kitchen. I was gonna build separate bedrooms too…if we're gonna be here for freaking months."

Her smile grew, as she pecked his cheek, "Let me help you."

The pair of them quickly got to work, building the foundations for a kitchen. Cadmus was nearly about ready to put a roof up, but he paused at what he saw, "Phoebe…get over here…"

She stopped at what she was building, walking over to Cadmus, "Yes?"

"This wall is too weak…it won't be stable enough to hold up a roof…" He pushed at it, feeling it for how flimsy it was, "See?"

She gave a regretful nod, "Forgive me."

He smacked his forehead, "Alright, that's it…new rule…from now on… _I'm_ the only one who's allowed to build stuff…" He said, "We're burning through too many resources." He said. "Speaking of which, we're completely out of wood…" He said.

"Cadmus…I'm so sorry—"

"It's not your fault." He said, "It was mine…it was my dumb idea to have all of us build yesterday…" He shrugged, "I guess constructions just my thing…like how shooting is yours…and figuring out how to get off this rock by studying is Genevieve's."

She smiled and nodded, "So to get more wood…"

"Well, I see about fifty trees in this little section by our base alone…so let's start with that." He said, as he and Phoebe started to cut down all the nearby trees in the area.

Phoebe jumped a little when one tree was felled, then she gave a small smile, "Easier than I thought it would be."

"I know…I'd have Genevieve come out to help us…but…I feel like it's a better idea to have her inside going through her notes, you know?"

Phoebe nodded, working on the next tree, "I must confess…I feel as though I haven't been carrying my weight with this settlement."

"I mean…soon you're gonna negotiate with the prisoner…that's important. And Genevieve said later when the kitchen's all done you can start hunting all the wildlife…"

"I do suppose that's what the butcher's table is for…and the stove…at least we have those two implements build."

He nodded, "Yeah, the stove runs on wood…because we don't have electricity yet…but…having something run on wood, out here…shouldn't really be a problem…"

"You're right." She giggled, "We could just cut down more trees."

He felled another tree, looking ahead, "Phoebe, I've been thinking…"

"Yes?"

"I mean…Genevieve said she wanted a kitchen, _and_ a freezer…but…I can't make a freezer without electricity…so…to do that…I'll have to get a generator started up or something. We need to make electricity…besides, once we do that, then we'll be able to have better lighting than torch fire."

"And do you propose we make electricity?"

He sighed, "It…won't be easy…" He said, "Unlike what we've been building right now, all this power stuff is gonna take up lots of metal…and the tubes, gears, and wires that we salvaged from the crash. I mean, with wood, we can just chop down a few more trees…but with steel and crap like that…" He shook his head, "We gotta be careful with how we chose to use our resources." He said, "And that's _if_ I don't screw up making this stuff…"

* * *

After their tree cutting excursion, Genevieve notified the two of them that the prisoner was awake and fully healed.

This led to the three of them sitting on one side of the room, while the prisoner, in her restraints, glared at them from the other side of the room.

And boy did she looked pissed. Like Cadmus, she had a horrible resting bitch face, which she was putting into clear use at the moment. She was rather thin, but had the muscular structure to wield a club knowingly. (The only reason Cadmus wasn't seriously hurt was because of his heavy clothing and bits of armor). She looked about the same age as the rest of them too, that being her early twenties.

"So…" Phoebe folded her hands, a delicate smile on her face, the only one in the room to have a positive expression at this point, "Why don't we start with a name?"

"Go to hell." The girl said.

Cadmus was about to lunge forward with his axe, but Phoebe held an arm out, stopping him, so instead he snapped, "Listen you piece of garbage, being a little rebel isn't going to solve anything! You're ours now, and you're gonna work for us!"

"I doubt it." She said, "The Animal Moles will come for me."

He blinked in confusion, "Animal Moles?"

"Uh…yeah…the faction who owns a fifth of the planet?" She raised a brow, laughing with a bit grin on her face, "You idiots really aren't from this world, are you?" She asked, "If you don't even know who the Animal Moles are!"

Cadmus scowled, but Genevieve tried to clear the air, "Yes…we're from a different world…if you will, we're just trying to get back home."

The prisoner blinked, "Yeah, I gathered that with the freaking elephant parading around like it owned the place. Elephants can't be found naturally in temperate forests."

"Do the Animal Moles really care?" Cadmus challenged, "Or are they gonna send a whopping _one_ person after us again?"

"Piss off." The girl snapped, "They only sent me because they saw three shiny disks crash into the ground not far from one of their settlements! Next time it'll be more!"

"So they have noticed us arriving…" Genevieve said quietly.

Cadmus looked at her, "You should go back to researching…we'll handle this." He said. Genevieve gave a small nod and left. "So…you're not gonna tell us your name, huh?"

"Like hell I won't." The girl frowned, "Just let me go! I'm not gonna cooperate with you jerks at all!"

"Oh, just admit it. These Animal Mole guys probably didn't really care that much about ya…considering that they sent you alone…who knows what the hell you could have run into. We at least have the generosity to save your life."

"Pfft, I was sent as a scout."

"With a shitty club, really?"

She looked to the side, "I don't need any of this from you. This good-cop, bad-cop act…with you and your little wife…I heard you howling like monkeys the other night…you all thought I was unconscious, but I heard everything."

Cadmus went a deep shade of red, though it was hard to tell if it was from anger, or general embarrassment, "That's it…this bitch is dying!" He reared his axe back.

"Cadmus, wait." Phoebe held him back, their eyes met, her voice got a little gentler, "Why don't you go see if you can futz with some electricity to get us power. I'll see if I can recruit her."

Cadmus seethed with rage, he gave a very reluctant nod, leaving the prison cell.

Phoebe smiled and folded her hand back together, "I understand it might be difficult knowing that the Animal Moles didn't ultimately want you in any of their greater schemes."

"Shut up…that's not true!" The girl barked, "I…I was important to them…"

Phoebe took a few steps forward, "My entire planet was war-torn, since I was born. I never knew anything else, for a while. I…my parents died in battle when I was very young…and I was left to fend for myself."

"Your…your parents died?" The girl's angry expression faded.

She nodded, taking another step closer, "I became a spy, when I was nine. I was enveloped in warfare, skilled at conflict and stealth at a very young age…it…it was all that I knew how to do. I…can't help but feel like if my parents survived, that…I would have gone down a very different path."

"My…" The girl sniffed, "My parents died too…"

"I'm so sorry."

She hugged herself, (or at least tried to, given the restraints). "I…I had to _watch_ them die. They…they died right in front of me…and…and I had nothing…nothing but the gangs…and crime lords…" She started crying softly, "I was just garbage to all of them…maybe I still am…"

Phoebe gave her a loose hug, "I'm aware of how all the others viewed you…and I realize that we hurt you…but it was only an act of self-defense." She backed away from the hug, so they could share eye contact, "If you help us…we could get you off this planet…to a place maybe more hospitable. We're all in this together…that is…if you'll join us."

* * *

"Alright." Cadmus said, "I wanted you to come out here so you can see for yourself."

Genevieve blinked a few times, seeing Cadmus sitting cross-legged in the grass surrounded by metal pieces and various electrical components looked perplexing enough. Lady would trumpet occasionally and nuzzle her, "Did you have a question?"

Cadmus nodded, "Yeah, in order to make a good freezer, I need to set up a power grid…but…how do I do that?"

Genevieve started pacing, with Cadmus and Lady watching her pace in a large circle, "We'll need batteries to harness the power…followed by a way to generate the power." She looked around, sticking a finger in her mouth and holding it up in the air, "Wind turbines…that should do it. In addition to that, you need to make cables that connect throughout the entire base. So when you do inadvertently build coolers and light fixtures, that they'll be powered."

He nodded again, "Right, makes sense." He stood up, "I guess I'll get started…although…I already told Phoebe this…but…we might run out of steel and stuff…and unlike wood, we don't have a way of getting any of this crap back."

"I'm aware…I'll try to come up with something."

"I hope you don't mind me interrupting the two of you." Phoebe's voice came, making the other two look towards Phoebe. At her side was the newly captured prisoner, who was now out of her shackles.

"What the hell happened?" Cadmus asked.

"We have a fourth member." She smiled.

His eyes shrunk, "You got her to join…that easily?"

Genevieve smiled, "Welcome to our fold." She held her arms out, "You'll be a fine addition to the team. Cadmus, that means you'll have to make her a bedroom."

"Tch, what?" Cadmus asked, "Why can't we just make the prison her bedroom?"

She shook her head, "You heard her. We might get attacked again, having a permanent prison might bode well for us."

"Ugh, fine…"

The girl parted her braid so it laid on her left shoulder, "You can call me Toni." She said, crossing her arms, "I'm a surgeon. Or… _was_ one."

Phoebe smiled, "How fortunate, having two medics will be infinitely beneficial to us, as opposed to one."

"Also…" Toni said, "I _hate_ to ask this…but…I'm just a little curious…why isn't there anything planted in the ground?"

The three of them all exchanged a glance, "Planted?" Cadmus asked.

Toni raised a brow, "Like…crops? Food? What, did you fools think you were going to survive just by hunting every other day or something?"

"Uh…I mean…it's possible…"

"Ugh…" Toni put a hand on her forehead, "Alright, just leave me to the growing as well. I'll find the richest possible soil and plant as much stuff as I can. Otherwise we'd all starve after we run out of packaged survival meals…"

Genevieve nodded, "We appreciate it."

"Also, what are you guys called?" Toni asked.

"…what are we called?" Cadmus asked.

"Yeah, like…the settlement, and your faction name…what, do you not have either of those?" She asked, "Sounds like we should be called _something_."

"I guess."

"Where did we crash anyway?" Phoebe asked.

"Sparland." Toni looked at her, "Not _too_ close to the coast, but, I don't think there's another settlement eastward."

"Sparland." Cadmus shrugged, "I like it. Nice ring off the tongue."

"That still doesn't answer what our faction should be called." Toni put her hands on her hips.

A pause, "The badasses?" Cadmus asked, when no one answered he tried again, "Cadmus's badasses?"

"It should be something simple." Genevieve said, "Like…maybe…the kingdoms…I like it…it sounds rather olden and simple."

"It needs something else." Phoebe said, "It needs something more."

Cadmus looked from the three ladies, to Lady, who was swirling her trunk around some grass, then munching on it, "The Elephant Kingdoms."

"The Elephant Kingdoms?" Genevieve chuckled, getting nuzzled by Lady, "I like it."

"Ugh, seriously?" Toni asked, "What did I just sign up for?"

Lady gave a happy trumpet, running over to Toni and knocking her over, affectionately rubbing up against her.

"Hey! Watch it!" Toni held her hands in front of her face.

The others laughed, "She likes you!" Genevieve said.

* * *

Cadmus growled as he missed yet again, he was playing horseshoes with Genevieve and Phoebe, "Hey…where's Toni?" He asked.

"She already went to bed." Genevieve said, "Maybe she needed a bit more rest than I thought."

Phoebe nodded, "I already saw her planting a garden for us." Phoebe said, "Who knew she would be so crucial to our survival?"

"Eh…I don't know…I think she's gonna backstab us…" Cadmus said.

"She shouldn't." Phoebe said, "I…I um…offered her a place home with us."

"Seriously?" He growled, "Pfft, it shouldn't matter. We were three renowned captains, known galaxy-wide…and we're gonna let some nobody join us?"

Genevieve gave him a stern look, "Cadmus, just because we're on a remote planet, so far in the outer rim that humanity cannot reach us, it doesn't give you an excuse to lose your humanity too."

He half-wilted, "But…seriously guys, where does it stop?" He asked, "We just gonna let every thug who pulls a half-assed attack on us fly back to the stars with us?" He challenged, "We just gonna let them all walk over us? In that case, we'll be here forever." When neither girl answered, he growled, "It doesn't matter anyway, just like tomorrow, I'm gonna work my ass off. I gotta build separate bedrooms…and a freezer, and power…and this…and that…so far Toni's the only one with a spare bedroom."

"I suppose it would be wise of me to keep researching." Genevieve said, "Then we can find a way to construct a ship."

Phoebe looked slightly nervous, or rather overwhelmed at how hard the two of them were working, "Perhaps I should start hunting."

"Don't bother." Cadmus said, "There isn't a point until I get the freezer up."

"Ah, yes…you're right."

He looked ahead, "Guys, I've been thinking."

"Yes?" Genevieve asked.

"Our base is right by a mountain, right?"

Phoebe and Genevieve exchanged a glance, "Uh-huh…" They both said.

"I say we mine it out. We might be able to use whatever we excavate, and if the mountain's hollowed out enough, we could build inside it." He said, "Hell, I might even build the batteries in there."

Genevieve hesitated, "That…sounds like a big job…"

"That's why we should all take a crack at it." Cadmus said, "Well…maybe everyone except Toni. She seems to be pretty headstrong about the whole garden thing."

Phoebe nodded, "I will assist you with mining in the morning, then."

Genevieve covered her mouth as she yawned, "I think I'm going to head for bed."

Cadmus and Phoebe bid her goodnight as she left, the Phoebe held Cadmus's shoulders, kissing him on the lips, "You should really make us a bed for too…I feel like getting filled by you on a mattress might be more comfortable…"

Cadmus blushed, "Uh…right…that'll…that'll be tomorrow's job…or… _one_ of tomorrow's jobs…"

* * *

 **A/N:** I wonder how Cadmus's plan to build a mountain base will go. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Here's chapter three! Toni finally gets a stable garden up and ready to go, while the others start to make their base a bigger and better place!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

Cadmus awoke as the morning sun greeted them once again. It was nice, warm, the temperature was more than hospitable.

He tried to remember what Genevieve told him. That must have meant today was the eighth of Aprimay. And they were all down to forty meals.

Phoebe had woken up, out, playing horseshoes as usual. Cadmus, a bit bored of that, decided instead to just, relax in the grass, staring at the sky, watching the clouds.

Of course, his loitering served another purpose. He tilted his head up, supporting his neck with his two arms as he stretched back. He was keeping an eye on Toni.

Honestly, she was doing a pretty good job of tending to their new garden. Tiny little sprouts were erecting themselves out of the ground, and Toni relentlessly kept sowing. She had to cut grass, and in some cases, hack _trees_ down to expand her sowing area. She was dedicated, if nothing else. Not only was she invariably giving them more wood, but, if half the crops she so carefully planted yielded a good harvest, they'd be eating like kings.

She had her wooden club by her side, at the ready. (Yes, the same one she attacked them with). Since the three of them crashed with no other weapons, it was the best they could do. But other than that, Toni seemed to be fitting in with the rest of the team just fine.

"So…uh…" Cadmus spoke up, "Toni's a guy's name, isn't it?"

Toni glared at him from where she was, squatted down, situating the dirt around the seeds, "Don't you have to be stupid somewhere else?"

"Jeez…" He sat up, "So, is it like, short for something?"

"Maybe."

He rolled his eyes. He stood up, preparing to either construct one of the many rooms he was assigned to build, or to mine out the mountain he spoke about last night.

"Listen to me." Toni said, "When I'm done planting, all the animals around here need to be gone, or they'll eat the crops. So that means animals in these vicinity need to be killed or chased off. And don't let your elephant near here either."

Cadmus didn't even look back, "Her name is Lady."

"Whatever, just kill all the animals that are near this side of the base."

He rolled his eyes, the garden Toni made was _huge_. This was asking too much, "Okay, that sounds impossible."

"Well, it isn't. Get your silver-haired, picture perfect supermodel wife to come shoot them. Pretty sure she has nothing else to do."

Now he turned around, "Listen you little bitch," He snarled.

"What?" Toni challenged, marching right up to him, "Gonna teach me a lesson, mister badass, strong-arm, 'I know what leather is'?" She crossed her arms, "I don't think so."

"Listen closely. When Phoebe, Genevieve or I…give you an order, you just do it. You can't tell _us_ what to do, it doesn't work like that."

"Oh, so I'm here for _a_ _day_ , and you're pulling rank on me?"

"Damn right." They practically butt their heads, "Look, you may have hoodwinked Genevieve and Phoebe into trusting you for now, but you still got a long way to go for me. There better be lots of crops to harvest for us or you'll be sorry!" He said, "I swear, if we like, get poisoned or something…"

She threw her hands up in the air, "How do you _poison_ plants?"

"I don't freaking know, you get the point!"

They heard the soft interruption of Phoebe clearing her throat, she approached the duo, "I really wish you two would get along." She looked at Cadmus, "She's doing a fantastic job with the garden. Please let her work in peace."

Cadmus sighed, "Fine…" He said.

"Now, shall we start mining?" She smiled.

"I was gonna wait for Genevieve to wake up, but she hasn't yet."

"There's no reason for us not to start without her."

"Alright…" He and Phoebe headed for the mountain, using the small amount of tools the escape pods provided them to start digging into the mountain, "I just figure this might be a better idea to store the batteries, inside a hollowed out mountain."

Phoebe looked up at the large mountain, swallowing hard, "This seems…a little daunting…"

"Nah, it'll be fine." Cadmus said, the further he went in, the darker it got.

Once a few hours of the morning passed, Genevieve came in to assist them. It was eventually pitch-black by the time they got in far enough. Stone chunks were all over the ground, making it hard to walk without tripping. Cadmus seemed to be a natural at the task, burrowing tunnels through the rock rather quickly. The girls on the other hand were having a bit of trouble.

"Cadmus…" Genevieve wheezed, brushing sweat off her brow, "I think we've gone far enough…"

"I…" Phoebe panted, "I concur…"

"Hmm?" Cadmus looked back, in his opinion, they haven't gone nearly far enough. "Uh…alright, you guys can head out, I'll keep digging." He said.

He felt sort of bad as his two friends left him. They looked absolutely _miserable_ , yet all the mining didn't seem to bother Cadmus one bit. He figured, the deeper in the batteries were, the better. If this whole living together with others on a stranded planet taught him one thing, it was that not all jobs are the same to everyone. He was great at construction and mining. But he had terrible aim, and would sooner scare away potential new recruits than convince them to join. And, while he could build, he didn't have the innate knowledge on _what_ to build, when it came to the more complex gadgets. That was Genevieve's forte. And with Toni tending to the fields, it rounded them out pretty nicely.

Once he was finished mining, he started to get to work with the batteries. It was still pitch-black, but he found a way to make the best of it.

After he constructed one, he stared at it for quite a while. Concentrated, unlimited power, in a metal shell. Perhaps it was foolish to just build one battery but, they didn't have endless resources. He decided that three should suffice for now. And he could always build more later.

And in less than an hour, he had three batteries, all lined up, protected by the overhead mountain, from the elements.

He headed for their joint bedroom, where Genevieve was most likely researching. He didn't understand how the woman could spend up to eighteen hours a day holed up in a tiny wooden room staring at papers and notes all day (except for when Cadmus was dumb enough to drag her out to do manual labor). He just chalked it up to the fact that she was a bit of an introvert and preferred her intellectual pursuits.

He knocked on the doorframe, "Genevieve." He said, "I built the batteries…I guess I'll build the wind turbines next."

Genevieve nodded from her desk, "Make sure you give them enough room. Don't build them too close to the mountain…also, any trees that are in the vicinity need to be cut down, or else we won't be able to get any power from the wind."

Cadmus nodded, "Got it." He said, heading back outside.

He was nervous. The windmills, like the batteries, were going to eat up a lot of steel too. As well as the electrical energy. And then there were the coolers for the freezer, the thing he was trying to build in the first place. They would cost resources too.

He gathered as much steel as he could, starting to build the wind turbines outside the mountain. If he squinted, he could see Toni to the south, tending to the fields.

Building them all took a while, but they were eventually all up and running. Now he knew what he had to do next, he had to connect all the power together. He went back into one of the storerooms, grabbing tiny bits of steel, to use as cables, hooking everything together.

"Cadmus." Genevieve called from her room.

"Hmm?" He asked.

"I'd like you to build a hospital too, if possible."

"Hospital?" He asked, "Like an emergency room?"

"Sort of…it doesn't have to be anything too complicated. Just a room with a lot of cushy beds should do."

He nodded, "Jeez…I'm gonna be the freaking master bed maker when all this shit is done…" It was a good thing he and Phoebe chopped all those trees down.

* * *

It was the fifth time Lady trumpeted. Evidently, Toni's gardening entertained her. Or maybe she was keen enough to know that she was growing food.

"Hey." Toni said, after bumping into her for the fifth time, "You need to go away. This isn't for you, none of it."

Lady backed away, a sad glint in her eye, she wandered off elsewhere.

Toni wilted, a painful sensation of regret welling up inside her.

She heard someone call out to her, turning to see Phoebe, "Do you mind if I help you?" She smiled.

Toni blinked, "I thought I was the only one who knew how to plant."

"You are. I just meant, clearing the fields, cutting any pesky trees down." She said, "I already cut down the ones surrounding the wind turbines."

"Oh yeah?" She looked towards the mountain. Sure enough, there was a trio of wind turbines, slowly rotating as the day went on. Toni didn't know why, but for some reason it made their base look a little more, official. Maybe because it was the realization that they would soon have power. "Huh…looks like crabby Cadmus _can_ do something after all…"

"He can be rather…forward…at times…" Phoebe said as she started working on a nearby tree, "I apologize."

"It's not just that…" She looked at the ground sadly, "No one here accepts me…other than you."

"Now that can't be true."

"Even the damn elephant is afraid of me."

She shrugged, "Lady has seemed to take an immense liking to Genevieve." She said, "And if you're worried about what Genevieve thinks of you, don't take it personally. She's a rather…private sort. Very driven. She just wants to study, it isn't anything against you."

Toni nodded, "Still…doesn't mean anything that jerk Cadmus said to me is okay."

"He's been…through a bit…" Phoebe said, "He was having a lot of problems…at home…and…well…he can't sort any of them out here. He misses his family, you could say."

"Pfft." Toni muttered, bending down to plant something, "Least he still _has_ family. You and I have nothing."

She was mildly taken aback, but she did have at least somewhat of a point, "True."

Toni moved on to the next plot, "So what was it like to be a spy? Must have been…screwed up a little…you started when you were nine? That's…that's crazy…"

Phoebe gave a mindless shrug, as a tree was felled, "It was most likely no different than your situation. What happened when your parents died? You said you turned to criminal activity, and the streets?"

"Yeah." She said, "I was a pickpocket for most of my childhood. I was…friends with a bunch of gangs…the streets raised me." She said, "I…uh…I don't know…they were freaking hoodlums…but…they were good people to me. Some of them at least. I hated working for crime lords and pirates, but…that was my only way to live."

"Ah, I see. I was in an oddly similar situation. The government was very keen on having me assassinate or silence as many of the opposition as possible. But I was a child, I hardly understood the core ethics of what I was doing." She looked at her hands, "Combat, murder, treachery, this was just…instilled in me at such a young age. A lot of my adolescence was spent trying to understand if what I did was truly good, or evil."

Toni nodded, "So…what happened when you grew up? What happened to the war and everything?"

She sighed in remembrance, "I took over the government. I brought peace to my planet. It wasn't easy, nor was it quick and simple. It was a long arduous process. Some of it violent, some of it, negotiable. Let's just that I'm the official representative of my government back at home."

"Wow…" Toni said in a hushed whisper, her eyes wide, "That's so cool."

Phoebe smiled, "You said that you're a surgeon?"

"I mean…not the goody two-shoe kind." She said, "I was kinda the…back ally doctor…for gang fights gone wrong. A criminal surgeon…if you will." She swallowed hard, "Some people I just _couldn't_ save. Sometimes it was just impossible. I mean, looking back on it now, I learned a lot about how the human body works, and how medicine works…but…I feel like I failed more times than I succeeded…" She took a deep breath, "At least it indirectly helped me with another skill too. I get a certain kind of love for knives. Or cutting. Gives me a rush like you wouldn't believe."

"So you prefer blades over firearms?"

"Uh-huh. Can't shoot for shit."

"Interesting." She said, "It's unfortunate that you only have that wooden club at the moment…"

"Eh, it's better than nothing."

Phoebe nodded, "Well, it seems your fields are free of trees. At last." She smiled, "And the best part is, clearing all these trees serve a dual purpose." She said, "It gives Cadmus more materials to build with."

* * *

Cadmus connected one power conduit after another, flinching every so often, and hoping dearly that he wouldn't get zapped by connecting them too quickly.

Once he set up a grid he was confident in, that being one that connected the wind turbines to the batteries to the basic layout of their wooden base, he began to start building the coolers.

He peeked outside, holding the door open, "Hey! Phoebe!"

Phoebe smiled and ran his way, giving him a brief kiss on the lips, "Yes, darling?"

Cadmus grinned, "We got power."

"Oh, do we?" She said as they strolled through the halls. (The halls, like most of the rooms, now had wooden floors, since so much spare wood had been accumulated).

He nodded, "I'm gonna start to build some of the coolers now."

"For the freezer?"

"Yup." He said, "One won't be enough to freeze an entire room…but…four sounds like a safe number."

"Four?" She asked, "Do we have enough for four?"

"We should." He said, "Hey, it's a big freezer, I made. I figure it'll fit more…I don't know. Animal corpses. Meat…stuff like that. The bigger the better." He said, entering the empty room with her. "I figure making coolers one for each wall will give the best effect, like here…here…here…and here…" He squinted at each wall, mapping out where he wanted to put each cooler.

"I see." Phoebe said, watching him with a sense of amusement, her dull red eyes catlike as they followed him around the room. "You know, some would say that you look like an uncivilized brute, but…when you think, you really think. I think it's an attractive quality in you."

"Hey." Cadmus said, "Be nice." He said, "Alright, I'm gonna get the stuff to make the coolers."

She nodded, simply satisfied with being able to watch his process.

Cadmus walked back in rather quickly, building the quartet of coolers in no time at all. It really made her wonder if he was steadily improving at this sort of handiwork. "Alright…" He said, one he finished building them all, "Seventy degrees Fahrenheit?" He asked, "Ugh…that's not helpful." He played with the knobs, "Alright…should be at least under thirty-two. Let's try…sixteen…degrees for now. If we end up with food rotting away, I'll set them all to somewhere negative." He looked up, "We better get outta here, it's gonna be real cold, real soon."

Phoebe nodded, and they both went back to the arching hallways, "Have you seen Genevieve today?"

He gave a shrug, "Probably researching." He said, like it was common knowledge that she'd be glued to her desk all day. "I hope she's getting closer…"

"I'm sure she's doing her best." Phoebe said, "We should be thankful enough that we have functioning electricity."

"You're right." He said, looking around, he couldn't help but be proud. After all, mostly everything that was built was _his_ work. "I got us a separate bedroom." He grinned, " _With_ a bed for two."

"Oh, did you?" Phoebe smiled, giving him a brief hug, "I can't wait to try it out." Her voice turned to a whisper.

"I mean, I figured Genevieve could keep the first room we all build together." He said, "Considering…that it already has her desk and stuff in there. Hey, maybe without all our beds, Lady can sleep in there too."

"How thoughtful of you."

He yawned, "Didn't get to make a hospital yet. Or…a room with more beds…is more like it. But…that'll be tomorrow's job, I guess…" He said, "Another job for tomorrow will be making lights that aren't torch-based…I'm sure Genevieve will appreciate that more than anything. She can probably barely read her notes."

Phoebe smiled, tugging on his hand, "Why don't we head to the bedroom right now? You look exhausted."

He gave another yawn as they went into their bedroom. "See? Doesn't it look nice?"

Phoebe smiled at the double bed, slowly peeling her clothes off, "Oh, I love it."

Cadmus's eyes went wider and wider the more clothes that came off. Yes, he had sex with her twice, but still, the fact that her body looked that flawless just about made him speechless every time she undressed.

He figured he may as well copy her. He took his trench coat off first, hanging it up, then he took the rest of his clothes off, save for his underwear.

Phoebe smiled and sauntered over to him, "So many muscles…" She said quietly, starting to rub his chest and make out with him.

Cadmus kissed her back, "It doesn't bother you that I'm…you know, this pale?"

"No, why would that bother me?"

"I don't know…I look like a freaking vampire."

"I'm pale too…"

"Pfft, not as pale as I am…"

She shrugged, "In any case." She got under the covers with him, "I think you look just fine the way you are."

"Thanks." He said, getting cozy, "So Toni was doing alright? She was out planting?"

"Yes." She said, still rubbing his chest, "And I have to say…the animosity you two share is both frightful and concerning."

"I just don't want her to betray us, that's all."

"If you think like that, she _will_ betray us." She said, "I'm the only one she trusts. Everyone else, she's nervous about."

"Even Lady?"

"Even Lady."

"Well, if Lady hates her, then she's getting the boot."

"Cadmus…"

"What?" He asked, "An elephant never forgets."

"That has nothing to do with any of this."

"She's a brat, Phoebe." He said, "Plain and simple. She yells, orders people around, and acts like a damn baby. She's a loose cannon."

"Mmm-hmm…listen, you can't honestly expect her to take our titles seriously. Or anyone who joins us. We're just strange spacemen to them. If I was like you and took my title to heart, I would be acting like a spoiled princess right now. I'd be demanding foot rubs, back rubs…shoulder rubs…mmm…that does sound nice…"

"Phoebe, do you want a shoulder rub?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to intrude—"

"Ugh, jeez…you're a handful." He held her close, slowly moving his hands up to rub her shoulders. She gave a soft sigh, "Look." He said, "I'll…lay off…for now…alright? I just…I don't know…she attacked us…"

"Yes, but I'd rather blame the foolish Animal Moles for that, rather than anything on her part."

"Fair enough." He sighed, "Maybe one day we'll meet these Animal Moles so I can kick their asses in."

Phoebe gave another singsong sigh, "Hearing you talk like that makes me drip…"

"Alright, alright, jeez…let's get busy then."

* * *

 **A/N:** It seems the group has a split opinion on the new member, will they work their differences out?

Also, I'm probably going to start doing small time skips from now on. Nothing major, just one towards the summer. Not everything happens every singular day, so the story might flow better if I implement small time skips every so often. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Here's chapter four! The first summer scene of the story! Let's see how our four colonists face a real threat!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

The days have been passing by quickly, for the four of them. Luckily they seemed to be peaceful, at least, for the time being.

It was the first day of Jugust, and they had twelve packaged survival meals left.

Not that it was really much of a problem anymore. Every other hour, Phoebe would drag up a deer carcass that she would snipe down with frightening efficiency. Her aim with that bolt-action rifle was impressive. It sometimes made Cadmus wonder how deadly she would be with a more dangerous weapon.

It had gotten hotter ever since summer began, but not overly so. The temperature was usually a constant eighty-something degrees. Once in a rare while it flirted with the nineties, but that didn't bother Cadmus. It might've bothered the other girls, but, maybe with his duster on, he just didn't notice the heat as much.

Either that or he spent his days toiling inside their mountain, mining it out completely. The more room, the better. He could eventually syphon off sections of it with walls and they could have a base half inside the mountain, and half outside it. For some reason, this excited him, even though the rest of their entire situation looked bleak.

Every so often, someone would complain about putting coolers inside people's individual rooms, but, they didn't have the steel or electrical equipment for that. He didn't see it as much of a concern, the temperature wasn't terrible, it just got a little stuffy sometimes. Like Genevieve had constantly been saying, it was quite fortunate for them to land on a planet, or rather, a _section_ of the planet that was familiar to them. They were blessed, in a strange, twisted way.

Or maybe it was a cruel fate. They could have just exploded on an airless asteroid, dying immediately. Is all of this goodwill supposed to be a way of tricking them? Are they going to get their hopes up for nothing? He had no idea. It was honestly up to Genevieve more than anyone else. She was actively _trying_ to come up with a solution. The other three, Cadmus, Phoebe, and Toni, they were just lengthening their survival, delaying the inevitable, one might say.

Sometimes he thought about the rest of the crew, who died. The other five captains, all of them, left behind. Perhaps it was survivor's guilt that ate away at him. They just happened to be closest to the escape pods, that's all. Cadmus, Phoebe, Genevieve, and Lady. Only they survived.

Did he feel sorry for the others? Yes, of course he did. He constantly wondered why it was him. Why he and the other two survived while everyone else most likely burnt to death, or suffocated out in open space. He even felt sorry for that guy he nearly choked out on the bridge for being a giant pervert. None of them deserved to die so quickly and suddenly without any warning whatsoever.

Right now, he was doing what he always did. Watch Toni tend to the garden. He hated horseshoes, so this was more entertaining to him. As stupid as it sounded. Everything else that needed to be build was built for now, at least. He had replaced all the wooden torches with standing lamps during the springtime. And that hospital was built too, though to Cadmus, it just looked like a large group bedroom. Genevieve thought that six beds would do for now. And they had blue sheets, unlike the typical green sheets Cadmus used for the bedrooms. And the prison cell sheets were tan. He never saw himself as a color-coded guy, but what the hell.

Still, it barely resembled a hospital he ever saw (not to say that Cadmus was even knowledgeable about hospitals). It was just a wooden room with a bunch of beds. Sure, the beds were neatly lined up in a row, and the space was rather roomy, but Cadmus didn't see why Genevieve and Toni couldn't just treat them in their own beds. Was there even a difference? It just seemed like a waste of resources.

As stupid as it sounded, he really liked watching the plants grow a bit each day. (Most likely to Toni's annoyance). For the moment, Toni had six different plots of land sectioned out for her. (And they were all _huge_ ). The sad thing was, Cadmus couldn't identify any of the plants yet. Some of them really looked on their way to full maturity, while others have barely peeked out of the ground.

What perplexed Cadmus the most, was these little weeds with a large blue flower at the end, "Huh…" He said, "I've never seen a plant like this before…"

Toni watched him out of the corner of her eye, like he was a little kid, and she was worried that he'd stomp all over her garden and ruin it. Setting up the crops was serious business to her. And unless they were Phoebe, she got really on edge whenever someone else was loitering around her fields. (She had to chase Lady away with a stick once). Of course, Cadmus felt it _necessary_ to butt in all the time.

When Cadmus ate the blue flower at the end, Toni felt her chest tighten, "Hey!" She screamed, running over towards him, "What the hell are you doing?"

Cadmus recoiled, spitting the flower out.

"Ugh…jeez…idiot, spitting it back out isn't gonna do anything now!"

"That tasted terrible." Cadmus said as he stood tall, "What the hell is it?"

"It tasted terrible because it's not for eating." Toni said, "Not everything I'm growing is food."

He frowned, "Then what the hell is the point of it?"

Toni gave an annoyed sigh, putting a hand on her forehead, already feeling a migraine coming on. "That's healroot."

"Heal…root?"

"Yes, dummy." She said, "Tell me, how much medicine do we have?"

"I don't know. Not much." He said, "Like twenty-five kits left. We had thirty when we crashed, but…then you happened…so…uh…"

"Right." She said, "What I'm growing here, this healroot." She held her hands out, "It's free medicine."

"No way…free medicine?"

She nodded, "It's herbal medicine, but—"

"Ugh."

"No, no 'ugh.' Would you rather have herbal medicine, or no medicine at all?" She frowned, "Herbal medicine may not be good as the regular medicine you crashed with, but it's certainly better than just staring at someone bleeding out until they die." She said shrugging, "Besides…I know there's a way to convert herbal medicine into regular medicine. A way to refine it, upgrade it, if you will." She said, "But…uh…I don't remember the _exact_ process. Our only hope is the Brainiac and her elephant in there."

"They have names, you know…"

"Whatever, I know." She said, "Jeez…if only I could remember what boss said to me…you need…herbal medicine…the works…um…the special juices…uh…"

Cadmus raised a brow, "Where exactly were you a surgeon again?"

"It doesn't matter." She blurted, "Now I need to replant another healroot here…" She said, "Cause some _idiot_ ate it."

Cadmus kept walking around her garden, "What about these, what are these?" He asked, "These look just about ready…these bushy ones."

"That's rice." Toni looked back over in his directions, "It's the fastest growing thing I got. I figure it'll really save our butts when we're out of packaged survival meals, and when your girlfriend makes the deer population go extinct."

He blushed a little when Toni said 'girlfriend', but he kept strolling around, "And these? These…darker…bushier ones?"

"Potatoes." Toni said, "They take longer to grow, but…each plant will produce more."

"Huh…" Cadmus said, "And these stalks I'm guessing are corn."

"Uh-huh." Toni said, "I thought I'd vary it up. We're going to get sick of eating the same thing over and over again."

Cadmus walked over to another field. More bushes, "Uh…" He checked them, some of them had tiny red berries at the end, but overall it still looked as though it needed more growth, "These are…?"

"Berries." Toni said, "Strawberries." She clarified, "Those will taste nice, I'm sure."

He nodded, "They will." He said, "And that's healroot." He said, "So what about this plot? It doesn't look like food either."

"It isn't." She said, "It's cotton."

"Cotton?"

"You seriously don't know what cotton is?"

"I know what it is!" He snapped, "I just wanted to know why you were growing it!"

She shrugged, "Backup clothing." She said, "I mean, your girlfriend is probably getting us clothes already, whether she knows it or not, but…doesn't hurt to have some cloth in our storehouse."

"Phoebe's…making clothes?" Cadmus raised a brow. Then he thought about it. The deer had to be butchered when they were killed. And he noticed, well, in addition to the hideous amounts of blood, gore, and dirt it left behind, that there was usually a bit of leather left too. "Oh…so we can turn that deerskin into clothes too!"

"Uh-huh." She said, pulling at the collar of her peach skinned shirt, "Everything I'm wearing is from dead animals."

"Really?" He asked, "Is your shirt deerskin?"

"Gazelle skin, but, close enough." She said.

"What about your pants?" He looked at her black skintight pants.

"Panther skin."

His eyes shrunk, he took a few steps back, "Shit…" He said. First of all, he didn't even know that there were panthers on this planet. Secondly, he didn't expect Toni to live long enough to both see, _and_ kill one.

"It's nice to finally see the two of you get along." They heard a soft, deep voice as Phoebe joined them.

Cadmus and Toni exchanged a glance, then they both looked away, "Just a coincidence." The former said.

"I would never get along with this idiot." The latter said.

Phoebe smiled, "How are the crops going, Toni?"

Toni grinned back, "Good." She said, "Very good." She said, "We're going to get a rice harvest very soon." She ran over to the patches of rice, "I can just _feel_ it." She said, "Then next will come the strawberries, I'm sure."

"That's wonderful news."

A stray boom of thunder was heard, followed by a few more. But Cadmus didn't really pay it any mind. He was too busy being shocked at the fact that Toni could _smile_. He didn't think she had that ability.

"I gotta say, Phoebe, between my gardening, and your hunting, we'll be fed for years to come." Toni's smile grew.

"That certainly seems plausible." Phoebe said.

"And it's actually pretty lucky that you guys ended up in a forest as dense as this one." Toni said, "There's actually _wild_ healroot growing all over the place. Raspberries too. There was nothing like that where I was from. We'll have to harvest it as soon as we get the chance to."

Cadmus looked around. Sure enough, those funny looking plants with the blue flower were everywhere, scattered evenly throughout the forest. And also, some of the bushes he mindlessly ignored seemed to be growing wild raspberries. Maybe they were going to survive all of this.

Another loud crash was heard, and the three of them saw Genevieve running out of the base. (Which basically signaled that there was an emergency in itself). She panted once she reached them, "We're in serious danger…"

"Serious danger?" Cadmus asked, as the three of them gave Genevieve a confused look.

She nodded, "The storm…"

"So…it rains on this planet…big deal…"

"No, it's the fact that it's _not_ raining that's the problem."

"…beg your pardon?"

"Look around you. Right now."

The four of them all looked around. Massive wildfires were at every corner, practically fencing the lot of them in. "Ah!" Cadmus gave a high-pitched scream, "Where the hell did all that come from?"

"From the lightning strikes." Genevieve explained quickly, "There's a thunderstorm. But it's a dry thunderstorm. That means the cracks of lightning will cause fires that won't be put out."

Cadmus swallowed hard, "We gotta put them all out…"

They all raced towards different angles of the fire, stomping the embers out. They swore under their breaths every time a new burst of lightning pounded the ground. In turn, it left more fire for them to deal with.

Putting out the fire lasted for most of the rest of the afternoon, well into nighttime. It had gotten so big, that it seemed out of control. Cadmus looked back, seeing one particular batch of fire eagerly heading straight towards their base.

Their entirely-made-out-of-wood base.

"No!" He ran towards the fire, which was just a few feet shy of clinging onto the wooden walls, thus, burning them to a crisp. He vigorously put out any immediate flames, panting afterward. He, like the others, he predicted, were most likely exhausted at this point. Instead of doing their normal jobs for the day, they basically spent all their time putting out a fire.

"Damn it…" He told himself, fighting against his weary muscles to keep fighting the fires, "If only it had rained just a _little_ bit…" He said. Lady leaned against one of the walls of the base, uneasily watching the four of them spread out in the night. She knew that something was wrong, and that something dangerous was potentially going to happen. Cadmus looked back at the elephant every so often. At least she was staying put, as long as she stayed near the base, she wouldn't get burned.

* * *

Toni couldn't stop smiling, holding something in her arms, though it was too dark to tell right away, "I bet you guys are gonna be happy."

"Happy?" Cadmus asked, as he, Genevieve, and Phoebe were all sitting outside in a circle, "What the hell would we be happy about?" He asked. The fire didn't hurt or damage anything, but it completely ruined everything, not to mention that it was past most of their bedtimes.

"The first rice harvest came."

"It did?"

She nodded.

"Wonderful." Phoebe smiled, "How much of a harvest did it yield?"

"Uh…about…seven…hundred…or…so…" Toni looked back.

Their jaws dropped. They all stood up, "Seven-hundred?" They all asked. Cadmus looked shocked, Phoebe looked pleased, and Genevieve clasped her hands together as her stomach growled, "You are an angel." The scientist beamed.

"Gimme that!" Cadmus grabbed all the rice that Toni was holding, eating it. Then he made a face, "Aw…this is…"

Toni crossed her arms as her face fell to its natural frown, "Raw?" She asked, "Yeah…gotta cook it first."

"So the question is…who's the best cook?" Genevieve asked. It was hard to hear her voice over Cadmus's swears and the sounds of him rubbing all the foul tastes off his mouth.

"Don't look at me." Toni said, "I know how to grow it, not how to cook it. I've never been near a stove, even."

Cadmus gave his tongue another brush or two, "I'm… _okay_ at it."

Genevieve nodded, "Me too."

"I have basic culinary skills as well." Phoebe said.

Cadmus looked from Genevieve to Phoebe, "So it'd be in between the three of us."

"I wouldn't mind doing it." Phoebe said, "I'm doing the least work in the colony…it should fall into my hands."

Cadmus was about to console her, but Toni quickly said, "Aw…you're doing plenty, don't worry." This prompted a quick jealous look from Cadmus, but he decided not to make a scene of it.

Phoebe shrugged, "In any case, I don't mind it. There's plenty of meat in the freezer from all the deer that I hunted."

"How much?" Cadmus asked.

"I'm not sure, I never counted…a lot though…I…had to have hunted over a dozen deer."

"Nice." Cadmus grinned, "So let's cook a little bit of both, and have ourselves a first proper dinner."

After Phoebe cooked them all dinner, they gathered around and ate it together. "Alright, I'm just gonna say it." Toni said, "This sucks."

Cadmus raised a brow, "You know, you should really learn to be a bit more grateful. Phoebe worked hard to make this." He said. The venison with the rice to the side was hitting the spot for him at least.

"No, I don't mean that. The food is great, you did a nice job, Phoebe." Toni smiled at Phoebe, who was given a quick smile in return, "I just mean that…we should build a dining room or something…you know…so we can sit around a table like civilized people…and not sit in the grass in a circle like freaking cavemen."

Cadmus gave a bitter, sarcastic grin, "Oh yeah, sure…cause new buildings just…fall from the sky, don't they?" He growled, "I think you're forgetting that making something like that takes valuable time and energy."

"Uh-huh, so get to it."

"I hate you." He snarled.

"What? Is there something I'm missing?" Toni asked, "Genevieve researches, Phoebe hunts and cooks, I tend to the fields, and you construct. It's your job. Get over it."

"Tch." He said, angrily stuffing his face.

"Mmm…tastes so delicious…" Genevieve said, "Thank you, Toni."

"We really appreciate it." Phoebe smiled.

Cadmus couldn't believe it. He had to admit, Toni was really pulling through for them. With her growing skills, she effectively saved them from starvation. Sure, Phoebe could hunt well, and brought in a lot of meat. But animals could never be a sure thing. If Toni could keep churning out food like this, then they would never have to worry about starving again.

He didn't know whether he should be pissed off that Toni saved their lives, or that he should be pleased and finally give her a pass.

"It's important for tomorrow though." Toni said, "That the rice gets put in the freezer. Sure, it can last a few seasons without being refrigerated, but it isn't a good idea to keep it outside. It'll just encourage the wildlife to come eat it."

Genevieve nodded, "Understood, some of us will spend our day tomorrow putting all those buckets of rice in the freezer."

"And this way, I can plant even more rice in the rice plot, and in about half a season, we'll get more." Toni smiled.

Cadmus watched as Genevieve and Phoebe kept piling compliments on, watching Toni with an increasingly envious eye. It sure didn't _seem_ like she was going to backstab them. But this was ridiculous, they were treating her like a reincarnated god just because she can sprinkle some seeds in the dust and make plants.

"And the berries should be the next harvest coming." Toni said, "Luckily, they can be cooked, or eaten raw, so it saves time if you're determining what to cook first."

"Right." Genevieve nodded.

"What about you?" Cadmus looked at Genevieve, "Figure out a way to get us off this rock yet?"

Genevieve hesitated, "Um…no, not especially. I've actually been focusing more on methods to increase our _survival_ …then building a ship. We might…we might be here for…years…"

Cadmus's eyes shrunk, his posture shrunk, "Seriously?"

"Cadmus, I don't have much. I just have a wooden desk and my thoughts, my imagination. I don't have _nearly_ as much of the analytical supplies and technological data as I did back at home. Factor that in with the likelihood that mostly _everyone_ in the galaxy probably thinks we're dead, and that means that it's up to us to save ourselves."

His shoulder sunk, "Alright."

Phoebe moved a bit closer to him, giving him a hug, "It's alright. We're going to survive at the very least…if…nothing else. We'll find a way home…someday…"

* * *

 **A/N:** Jeez, the fire nearly burnt down their entire base. They might have to plan ahead for next time. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Here's Chapter Five! More colony shenanigins are underway! Things seem to be rather peaceful for the moment, but they might be shaken up a bit too. Hope you enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

 _Clink!_ Another perfect shot for Phoebe. She smiled, hitting a second in a row. People often called her eyes lazy, subdued, dead. But it meant two things, especially if her horseshoes game was anything to show by it.

Her smile grew as the land around her began to glow orange as the sun came up. It was typical for her to wake up long before anyone else, giving her enough time to relax and unwind with some horseshoes before getting to work. Which usually involved cooking at this point. With Cadmus constructing odds and ends, and Genevieve hard at work with her studies, she devoted the cooking to herself, despite all three of them having similar cooking skills.

Most of Jugust had come and gone, tomorrow would be the tenth. And by now they had run out of packaged survival meals. But it was no longer a concern, Phoebe cooked quick enough to feed all four members and leave a surplus. Whenever she was confident in the extra meals, she would then depart the base to hunt.

Harvest upon harvest had come in, with every major plant being harvested for its goods. (The rice had been harvested twice!). The only holdout for the time being was corn, but Toni rightfully warned them that it would take the longest to harvest. Nevertheless, the potatoes and strawberries were welcome.

She often cooked the venison (which they still had a hardy supply of, as it seemed that deer were one of the most common animals in the forest) with some rice to the side, or if that got tiresome, potatoes, just so the others wouldn't get bored of the taste and complain. Strawberries, she was ordered by Genevieve, should be conserved, as they can be eaten raw anyway, so they could be grabbed for a snack.

Not only that, but with the healroot and cotton harvest coming in, they had a lot of cloth, and a steady supply of medicine now. In addition to their twenty-five or so medical supplies, they had about a-hundred servings of herbal medicine, which would be helpful, should an emergency happen.

The dozen or so deer she butchered also provided them with a healthy supply of deerskin, which for the time being was put in the store room that Cadmus made their first day. The cloth or deerskin could be fashioned into clothes, which would be convenient, though Phoebe herself knew little to nothing about making clothes, and she doubted that most of the other members knew anything either.

She gave a relaxing sigh as she entered the base, wandering the hallways. She was calm, content, in truth she always was. She had a very cold, iron-clad temperament. She never rose her voice or even got frightened much. It was extremely hard to faze her. Maybe Genevieve and Cadmus were all the more blessed that she was thrust in such a dire survival situation with them.

She heard the sound of a hammer going, as well as other tools being used to their maximum. She smiled, knowing that her lover must have stirred and is now hard at work, most likely putting the finishing touches on the dining room Toni mention several days ago.

She walked inside, the partially finished room, "Hello, darling."

Cadmus jumped up, a few nails sticking out of his mouth as he was hammering something, "Phoebe?" He asked, "Jeez…scared the crap outta me…"

"Forgive me." She smiled, then it faded as she looked around, "Um…Cadmus…?"

"Hmm?" He asked, sliding a table leg in the tiny hold he made, and repeating the process four times.

"I…thought Genevieve said to stop making things out of wood…after…well…you know…" Phoebe said.

"I mean—"

"Definitely remember Genevieve ordering you to never use wood to make things again." She said, "That dry thunderstorm almost nearly did us in."

"What, is poor lil' Cadmus not following orders?" Toni asked, strolling in, "Shocker."

Cadmus frowned, glaring at her, "The hell are you doing here? Don't you have a garden to run?"

"Yeah, but I'm having my breakfast, m'kay?" Toni asked, "So excuse the hell out of me."

"Dining room's not done yet." Cadmus said, brushing a few beads of sweat off his forehead, "So screw off."

She rolled her eyes, "It basically is."

" _Basically_ , but it isn't, so piss off."

"Like hell I will."

"Toni's a guy's name."

Toni's face went red with anger, "And your name sounds like it should belong to a piece of furniture!"

Phoebe quietly cleared her throat, "Please…be quiet." She cautioned softly, "Or you'll wake Genevieve and Lady up."

"Genevieve and Lady are already awake." Toni said.

"They are?" Cadmus and Phoebe asked at once.

"Uh-huh."

"She researching?" Cadmus asked.

"No…I think they're outside somewhere."

"Outside?" Cadmus and Phoebe exchanged a glance.

At the doorway of Genevieve's room, three heads poked their way inside.

"I don't believe it…it's such an unusual development." Phoebe said.

"What? Does she _always_ cloister herself in here?" Toni asked.

"I mean, yeah." Cadmus said.

"It's probably no big deal."

"Hey, it could be." He said, "What if she got like, freaking abducted or something?"

"Seriously?"

Phoebe smiled as she looked outside, "No, she's fine. I found her, she's outside. Let's just leave her alone, for now."

Cadmus shrugged as the three of them walked through the halls, "I guess I'll finish those last few dining chairs."

"Yeah, the corn should be ready in about…five or six days…maybe…" Toni said.

"Really? That long? Damn corn…freaking being a holdout…"

Phoebe sighed, "I honestly wonder what I should do." She said, "I've been cooking for quite a bit, I'm relatively ahead."

"I mean…if you're looking for things to hunt…I saw some…a…uh…a herd of something out there." Cadmus said, "What are they? Rams or something?"

"Ah, you're right." Phoebe's face lit up, "And I also saw a herd of gazelle to the south. Perhaps today will be a hunting day."

"Nice, gazelle." Cadmus snickered, "So we can all dress up like Toni."

* * *

She honestly was kicking herself that she hadn't thought of this sooner.

That, and being outside for once in what felt like several days felt nice too. The summer heat was persistent, but not anything annoying. She liked how it felt. She much preferred it to cold weather, which, she would have to tell Cadmus that building heaters would most likely be his next task. She could already hear him complaining about steel and their resources already.

She held at least a full bucket's worth of rice. (Even this might not be enough). "Lady!" She called.

Her elephant turned to her, a generally happy look in her eyes.

"Aw…you…you responded." She gave a warm smile, running up and hugging Lady, leaving the rice aside, "I love you so much!" She squeezed her, Lady trumpeting back, "Yes I do!" Genevieve said.

She knew it was stupid to get excited over something as little as an animal recognizing his or her own name. But, maybe what they said was true, that she could connect to animals much better than people.

"Alright…we're going to work on something…together." She kissed her large ear, "Alright? You and me. We're going to play."

Not necessarily one to follow Cadmus's mantra of 'everything and everyone in the group should be able to turn into live, dangerous cannon fodder at the drop of a hat,' she still found _somewhat_ of a point in his warped thinking. Elephants were very intelligent animals, and if she put enough effort into Lady, then maybe Lady would be able to pull her own weight too.

She thought that maybe if she could just get Lady to obey her simple commands, that it could perhaps branch into something more. So she coached Lady for most of the day, feeding her a bit of rice from the barrel whenever she did something right. (She knew by the end of the day, whether Lady learned anything or not, that the whole barrel would be empty by sunset).

"Good job!" She fed her a bit of rice. Lady eagerly took it with her trunk and ate it. Genevieve's eye caught something. When Lady was done eating, she gently grabbed her trunk, tracing her fingers along it. It was smooth, yet rugged skin, but there were quite a few ridges gathered together at the center of the trunk.

"A…gunshot…scar?" She asked, rubbing Lady's trunk slowly, "You were hunted?" She asked. She and Lady stared at each other for a while. "Well…that won't happen here. You'll be safe here." She kissed her trunk where the mark was, "We all love you here. And I love you the most. Alright?" She kissed her trunk again, "I love you."

Lady trumpeted back, knocking Genevieve to the ground with a romp. Genevieve fell on her rear, she laughed as she was nuzzled by Lady countless times.

When afternoon was waning, the empty bucket of rice was off to the side. Genevieve was lying in the field, napping, and Lady was napping beside her, her trunk protectively lain over Genevieve's body.

* * *

"I hate this game." Cadmus said.

"That's cause you miss every time." Toni said.

"You haven't been hitting crap either!"

Phoebe smiled, standing in between them (both coincidentally, and because she didn't want their disagreements to come to blows). "It's all in the aim." She held the horseshoe firmly, giving it a toss. A dead-on hit.

"You might have to demonstrate again." Toni smiled, "Cadmus was staring at your ass the entire time."

"Like hell I was!" Cadmus snapped with a persistent blush on his face.

A shrieking cry was heard in the distance, causing the trio to stop dead in their tracks. "No…" Phoebe said, "It can't be…"

"What? What is it?" Toni asked.

"You should know better than any of us." Cadmus looked at her briefly, "We're under attack. Again."

Phoebe got out her bolt-action rifle, cocking it, "If nothing else, the constant hunting of stagnant, lazy herds was starting to grow tiresome."

"Damn it, where the hell is Genevieve? And Lady?" Cadmus looked around, then he swallowed hard and faced where the call came from, "Screw it, we'll just have to do it without 'em."

"Not that we did the first raid with Lady anyway…" Phoebe said quietly.

"So what do we do?" Toni asked.

"You and I will charge forward." Cadmus got his axe out, already moving forward, "Phoebe will stay behind a little, shoot at her from behind the trees."

"Hmm…that's not a bad idea…for you."

He rolled his eyes. The trio headed forward, eventually, Phoebe stopped back so she could serve as the element of surprise.

Cadmus narrowed his eyes as they spotted their target. She was an overweight woman, with a black scorpion braid, and dark clothing. She was wielding a club, this one made of stone. She gave a high-pitched shriek and went for Cadmus first.

Cadmus blocked her club with his axe, "I don't think so!" He said, "Toni! Now!"

Toni charged in and started beating the assaulter with her club. The large woman reeled back, but she eventually started hitting Toni back, and soon both of them were covered with bruises. Cadmus watched on for a few moments. Toni was expendable, if anything. They had enough food to last for possibly years, she served her purpose, if anything happened to her, it would be no skin off his nose.

Still, a club wielding duel with one being wooden, and one being stone would only last for so long. Cadmus roared as he intercepted, cutting through her midsection with his axe. The woman fell back, blood gushing out all over. She screamed again, raising her club up high to presumably bash Cadmus's head in.

A gunshot was heard, and Cadmus was immediately hit with a sense of joy upon hearing it. The bullet shredded most of the assailant's hand. The attacker screamed in pain as she dropped her club, holding her hand, and slowly collapsing on the ground.

"Alright, we're good." Cadmus said, which in turn made Phoebe come out of her hiding spot.

"I don't…I don't feel so good…" Toni felt all the bruises on her body.

"It's fine. We'll go back to base, have Genevieve patch you up. Then we'll see what we can do with hefty here, and then lock her up too."

* * *

"So she's awake now?" Cadmus asked.

Genevieve nodded, "Toni and the raider are both on the road to recovery." She said, "We could speak to the prisoner too, if you'd like."

"Good. Toni just got a bunch of bruises, right?"

"Yes, but the prisoner wasn't so lucky. Her leg had a huge bite scar…from…some animal. Which ruptured at some point in the fight. Closing it back up was not easy. She also has an old gunshot on her left arm. And the shot to her left hand left a permanent scar."

"Hey, that's better than Toni or me getting permanent brain damage from the damn club." Cadmus said, "What kind of medicine did you use on them?"

"I used herbal for both."

"Herbal?" Cadmus asked, "I thought for at least for _Toni_ you'd use regular."

Genevieve shook her head, "I'd rather save the two dozen cases of medicine for emergencies. We have no reliable way of getting any more yet." She said, "Besides, with my medical expertise, one would hardly know the difference between herbal and regular."

The four members faced the fat prisoner, in her restraints. Her hair was colored and arranged just like Toni's but that's about where the similarities ended. Other than the fact that Toni was extremely thin, and this woman was on the heavier side, it seemed obvious that this woman was fairly older than the four of them. In her forties, _at least_.

Phoebe folded her hands with a smile, the prison cell seemed to be getting more and more crowded these days, since they all tagged along to watch, "Why don't we start with a name."

"Meowski Davidson." The prisoner said.

"That can't possibly be a name." Cadmus muttered. Toni elbowed him in the ribs.

"And the faction you reside to?" Phoebe asked.

"The Animal Moles."

"Ah, them again…I see…"

"What the hell is this place, then?" Meowski asked, "Wooden dollhouse kingdom?"

Cadmus clenched his hands into fists, while Phoebe kept her stoic smile, "We were wondering if you would like to join our faction in exchange for a trip off this planet."

"Huh…maybe I could get behind that." Meowski said.

"Ugh, her too?" Cadmus asked, crossing his arms, "I mean, she could be good for hauling in the harvests…or cleaning the place…this place could use a good tidying up."

"Oh no, I don't do none of that dumb labor." Meowski snarled, "I ran a ranch for thirty years, and I paid folks to do all sorts of that nonsense. Carryin' stuff, cleaning the shit of the floors, cuttin' down trees. I ain't lowering myself to that."

Cadmus snarled and took a few steps forward, putting one hand on his axe handle. Everything about this woman bothered him. The sense of self-entitlement, the drawl, Toni didn't seem so bad anymore, "Listen, you fat piece of shit, you're gonna do whatever we say. Cause we're in charge around here."

"Go fuck yourself." Meowski snapped, "I'm free to make up my own mind as I chose. I'm part 'a the Animal Moles, not you flatfoots."

"The Animal Moles aren't going to come save you." Toni said, "And if they are, it'll only be a coincidence. All they care about is land and money…they'll kill anyone who gets in their way."

"Shut the hell up, skinny bitch." Meowski said, "Don't remember askin' for your input."

"Perhaps it would be a wiser idea for me to chat with Meowski alone." Phoebe said.

* * *

Phoebe looked a little disturbed that night in their bedroom, continuously running her hand through her silvery hair, as if it were a substitute for combing it, "I'm…" She hesitated, "Not very confident about getting Meowski to join our cause."

"Gee, what gave that away?" Cadmus asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. His duster and shirt were already off, "She seems like a class act, if nothing else."

Phoebe sighed, taking her top and pants off, "It was a miracle enough getting Toni to join us." She said, "She and I had something in common, something that resonated within us. I'm not getting that with Meowski." She explained as she sat beside him.

"Really?" He looked surprised, "You guys have something in common? You and _Toni?_ "

"Yes. Our backgrounds contain a few similarities."

"Huh…could've fooled me." He said, "She's a loudmouth brat who just bitches all the time, while you're a cool, level-headed assassin."

She rolled her eyes, "I wish you would be nicer to her. She's really working hard. I know it doesn't look like it, but she really cares about what the others think of her."

"Alright, alright, I'll try to give Toni a second chance." He said, "Jeez…she's _heaven_ compared to this Meowski bitch."

"She is less…nasty…I suppose you could say."

"You learn anything else about her after we left?"

She shook her head, "Just her basic skills, and that she was a ranch owner, not anything exceptionally new."

He sighed, "I can't believe she can think of herself so high and mighty. Even though we were freaking ship captains, we bend over and pick stuff up and clean…jeez…completely negates the argument you made a while ago about being humble."

"Some people are just raised like that."

"Well, then what else is she good at?"

"Well…she owned a ranch…so…I presume…she can handle animals quite well…"

"…that's it?" He asked, "Then she's dead weight. The only animal we have is Lady, and Genevieve and her are best friends." He looked annoyed, "We should just kill her. She's not going to be helpful at all, she'll be just another mouth to feed."

"I don't think of it that way at all." Phoebe said, getting under the covers, "Come here." She held her arms out, "You look tense, let me rub your shoulders."

He gave another sigh, taking the rest of his clothes off and laying on top of her. She reached behind him and got his shoulder. As Cadmus relaxed, her voice softened, "Genevieve is none too pleased that you made the entire dining room out of wood."

"She wants to do it different, she can build it herself." Cadmus growled, "We don't have a choice. What _other_ thing can we build this stuff out of? Steel? We gonna waste steel on that crap, cause we're low on that as it is."

"How much steel do we actually have left?" Phoebe asked.

"Uh…I mean…a decent amount…like…probably enough to make another few batteries and wind turbines…but…still…when it's gone, it's gone. And the gears and tubes…forget it. Six left."

Phoebe looked concerned, "Perhaps I should bring this matter up to Genevieve…"

"Yeah, and tell her to get the hell off my case while you're at it."

"Cadmus…" She kissed his cheek, "You seem even grouchier than usual…"

"I don't know…" He said, decompressing a bit more as he felt her hands reach in deeper for the knots in his muscles, "Maybe I still miss Elspeth. And my sister."

"Anastasia?"

"Yeah…she's probably worried sick about me…unless she's on…god-knows-what again…"

"You have my word that you'll see your sister again. Count on it."

He grinned, "Whatever you say, Phoebe."

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeah, I know it's weird to have all the colonists have a chat with the prisoner/trader even though it's typically done with the person with the best social skill (That being Phoebe), but I thought it'd be a better idea to have all the characters interact with them. I think it's just one of those game vs. storytelling things that are just different. Anyway, I'll be back with the next few chapters soon!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Here's chapter six! It is now fall, meaning that the time for preparing for the first winter is shortly approaching. Let's see how the colonists fare.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

Days passed as activity in the base remained relatively the same. The corn finally stubbornly agreed to being harvested. And it yielded a plentiful amount.

Of course, by the time the corn did show itself, the seasons changed again, and it was now Septober. All the other crops had been harvested twice by now, the rice, three times, and maybe soon it would be harvested a fourth time. It was more and more proof that Toni had carved an excellent niche for herself within the group.

Thanks to her, the amount of vegetation and berries they had reached absurd levels. And they still had plenty of meat too, from the deer, the ibexes, and the gazelle. This left to plenty of variation when it came to mealtime, (which they could now all enjoy at the table in the dining room).

The fall weather brought its differences, that's for sure. It brought the temperature down to its natural level at spring, and then down a bit more. Sixties and fifty degrees, it typically was, sometimes dipping down to the forties, especially during nighttime. Genevieve kept warning Cadmus about the need to build heaters for the winter. Since they were more than prepared with food for the winter, temperature was the thing Genevieve was lamenting about. He would be more primed for it, but he just didn't have a comfortable amount of steel, or electrical components.

Since there were hardly any construction projects for him left at the moment, he relied on mining. It was the only other job left for him that he did as well as construction. By now, nearly the entire mountain directly behind their base was hollowed out. They had tons of space within the mountain. Cadmus could at least put in half a dozen rooms of something, he just didn't know what. A few seasons ago, and he wouldn't care at all, but now the little constructor's spirit inside him was excited for the prospects. The only thing in the mountains at the time being were the batteries, and they were hardly taking up any room. The next time Genevieve asked him to make something, he would heavily consider building it in the mountain.

Honestly, the fact that they were going to be here for _years_ bothered Cadmus. It bothered him immensely. But, it could have been worse. They were in an area familiar to them, surrounding by phenomenon of nature and animals familiar to them. And, maybe being with Phoebe was _better_ than being with Elspeth. Phoebe wasn't nearly as rough around the edges, and she supported Cadmus on the days where he felt terrible. He could get used to this, at least the part about being with Phoebe. He preferred to be back in his apartment, and not out here in the wilderness.

It took days, almost an entire season for Meowski to be recruited, but by the third of Septober, she joined the fold.

Genevieve had been inspecting the club that Meowski used. It looked quite deadly, and it seemed to have a bit more raw power than the one Toni used. "A limestone club." She said, handing it back to her original owner, "For you. In terms of defense."

Meowski took the club, "Thank you." She said, walking outside the base, after being in a cell for so long, she most likely missed being outside.

Cadmus knew better, and built a room for her long ago when she was first captured. (Yes, it was made out of wood. And yes, he was reprimanded for it).

He walked alongside Meowski as she ventured outside, "So let's talk about your work schedule."

"Oh yeah?" Meowski asked, "Whatcha got, city slicker?"

Cadmus gave a dark grin. He could hear the sarcasm laced in her voice, he wasn't born yesterday, "This 'city slicker' is gonna bury you unless you don't do what I say. You'll find that I'm not as much of a doormat as the other two captains."

"Don't push it." She said, "Remember, no dumb labor."

"Tch." He said, "Alright, so what are you good at, just animals?"

She looked around. On cue, Lady was making her laps around the base, trumpeting contently, "Quite a fine specimen."

"Pfft, she belongs to Genevieve. I'd keep your filthy paws off of her." He said, "Genevieve trains her herself."

"I've noticed."

They walked together in silence for a little while, until Cadmus saw a herd of something he didn't recognize at all.

They looked like ghosts from far away. But at closer glance, Cadmus could see that it was blue _fur_ that was obscuring most of their features. Their face, as far as he could tell, could only be distinguished by simple, peaceful eyes. He'd never seen anything like it.

"So are you better with guns or close up?" He asked, as a last-ditch attempt to break the ice.

Meowski shrugged, "I've done plenty good with either." She said, "But seeing as how y'all ain't got no guns left, I'll stick to my club."

"Hmm." He said, pointing to the herd of, puffballs, "You wanna do something useful?" He asked, "See if you can figure out what one of those things are for me."

She looked at him like he was the dumbest man alive. "You ain't never seen a muffalo?"

"A…what?"

"A muffalo?" Meowski asked, evidently, she thought it was funny. "Why don't I go tame one for us?" She walked ahead.

Cadmus blinked a few times. He would rather the muffalo to be _hunted_ , to be honest. They all looked _way_ bigger than the deer or ibexes that Phoebe was hunting, so they'd provide a lot of meat.

Meowski lured the muffalo in with some rice from the freezer, Cadmus watching intently. She may have been a standoffish, unsightly woman, but if she was good at something, it was taming. Meowski would pet the muffalo, only feeding it the rice if it showed signs of getting closer.

In a matter of minutes, Meowski returned with their new muffalo friend, "The best part is, it's a girl." She smiled.

Cadmus blinked, "I don't follow."

Her smile faded, "There're two reasons ya tame muffalo. For their wool, for insulation 'gainst the cold. And for their milk. Male muffalos only do one a' those things."

"Those floating puffballs make milk?"

"Damn right they do." She said, "I could go tame a male, if I could find one. Then we'd practically have a farm." She chuckled.

"That won't be necessary at the moment. That was kind of a test." He said, "Initiation."

"There's initiation here?" She asked.

He nodded, "Toni had to be embraced by our elephant."

"Huh." Meowski said, "And what do y'all call this place?"

"The Elephant Kingdoms."

"I see." She said, "Elephants mean a lot to y'all?"

"They do now, at least."

They went back to base. Meowski once every so often would show the muffalo where it was okay to graze and where it wasn't. The muffalo would moo back occasionally, nonchalantly trotting about.

"Well…" Meowski said, "If ya don't need me to tame nothin', I think I'll go sit down for a spell."

"Hold on just a second." Cadmus said, "We gotta find you something else to do." He said, "Come on." He said, "Let's go talk to Genevieve."

Meowski smirked as she followed Cadmus through the wooden halls of the base, "She the boss-lady 'round here?"

"Basically."

Cadmus barged into her room with Meowski, "Genevieve." He said, "Meowski tamed a muffalo."

Genevieve slowly looked up from her desk, "Tamed a what?"

Meowski laughed, "Wow, you spacers don't know nothing, do ya?" She laughed and laughed, "We got ourselves a new furry friend, that's all."

"Ooh, I'd love to meet them." Genevieve smiled.

"Not the point." Cadmus said, "We can't just have Meowski tame every rat and rabbit and raccoon in the forest, we need more reliable work for her. Something she can just do all day, like the rest of us."

Genevieve stood up and put a hand on both Cadmus's and Meowski's shoulder, "Stonecutting."

"What?" Cadmus and Meowski asked.

"She can cut all the stone chunks littered around the planet." Genevieve explained. "It'll be something to build our walls and doors with other than wood or steel."

Meowski nodded, "I can take a crack at it."

Genevieve nodded back, turning to Cadmus, "Build a stonecutting table."

"Right." He said. The table wasn't a problem, he could just make that out of wood. What worried him were the metal implements needed to cut the rocks. That would cost steel. "Where?"

"Hmm…I would say Meowski's room…but…I'm not sure." Genevieve said, "Having a desk in your room is one thing…but…a stonecutting table could leave all sorts of dirt behind…and in a bedroom…that's…less than ideal."

"It's alright." Meowski said, "A little dirt never hurt nobody." She said, "I prefer my bedroom to be simple and humble. Anything too fancy-pantsy would annoy the hell out of me."

Cadmus and Genevieve exchanged a glance. Cadmus certainly wasn't going to complain about a member not being picky about the quality of their room. "I'll build the stonecutting table." He left Genevieve to her research with Meowski.

He went outside to the storeroom to gather some wood and steel, while Meowski looked around, "Hmm…got a lot of limestone and granite chunks 'round here." She mused, "You guys are mighty lucky."

"Lucky?" Cadmus asked.

She nodded, "Strongest types a' rock known to man." She said, "Let me know when you're all done."

He nodded back, building the stonecutting table inside Meowski's room at a relatively quick rate. Once he was finished with that. He went back into the mountain to mine.

* * *

Watching the clouds cleared her head, calmed her down. Not that she needed _that_ much calming down in the first place. She just hated being cooped up in the kitchen, to a certain degree. She could hunt, but there wasn't much of a point, since the freezer was nearly full anyway. So usually she spent most of her days at the stove, or butchering table. Especially if their group was to grow at more than five, this was likely going to be her fate for a while.

She briefly met the new muffalo that Meowski tamed. She thought it was cute. It was very friendly. Cadmus was apparently there while she tamed it, and the entire phenomenon seemed to have changed his opinion on Meowski for the better. That was good, she figured. He always was so hard-headed when it came to the new recruits.

Genevieve was talking to the muffalo now, and better yet, the muffalo and Lady seemed to get along swimmingly. They even grazed together, on occasion. Phoebe found a boundless sense of community within the group could do them all some good. The only one who hadn't really interacted with animals yet was Toni. But Phoebe figured it was that Toni wasn't as fond of animals as the rest of them were.

"Hey, no sleeping in the grass allowed there, missy."

Phoebe looked up and saw Cadmus, "Hello, sweetheart." She smiled.

"So how're things?" He held a hand out to help her up.

She grabbed his hand, "Alright, I suppose…" She said, "Getting a bit chillier out…"

"Eh, doesn't bother me much." He said, "Of course…I've been in a pitch black mountain all day…"

"Oh have you?" She smiled, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"As weird as it sounds, yeah." He said, "Cause now all the rock chunks I mine out can be carved by Meowski into stone blocks."

"Oh, she's proficient at stonecutting?"

"Yup." He said, "Which is good, because if I build an outer stone wall around the base. Or just…make sure the wooden parts of base are outlined in stone, we won't have to worry about fires ever again."

"Yes, that is quite a reasonable goal." She said.

Cadmus's eyes widened, "Wait a minute…" He said, "Who are they?" He protectively held a hand out to protect Phoebe.

Phoebe blinked a few times, seeing about a dozen travelers, wearing tribal rags, mostly. They seemed to have a lot of tamed muffalo with them in tow. As well as alpaca, both of which wearing little brown harness's practically overflowing with all sorts of different odds and ends. If they were an attack force, their faction would doomed.

However, Phoebe determined, they were moving much too slowly and amicably for it to be an assault. So she didn't bother with her weapon. And when the leader of the group held his arms out with a smile, Phoebe knew she was right to be relaxed.

"Greetings, from the Accord of Breicamen." He said, in one of the thickest accents Phoebe has ever heard.

"The…what of who…?" Cadmus asked.

Phoebe swatted a hand at him, more or less telling him to shoo, Cadmus looked annoyed, but he complied nonetheless. If it wasn't his lover doing the shooing, who knows how he would have exploded. Phoebe did a small bow, "Greetings, and welcome, esteemed Accord of Breicamen. We are the Elephant Kingdoms…and we do hope we can help you in any way that you desire."

"Ah…the Elephant Kingdoms." The leader looked a little confused, but once he saw Lady in the distance, he smiled, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. We were travelling through the area, and were wondering if you would like to purchase any of our servants today."

Phoebe's eyes widened, "S-Servants?" She asked, now noticing that mixed in with the tribal folk were a few individuals in chains, "I…I see. I'm…not sure that I'm interested in that at the moment…but I do have a few questions about this planet…"

"Oh do you? Ask away."

"What factions control this planet? Who lives here?"

"This planet has many homes. There are two tribes, including us. There are the advanced space men…two factions of them…and then there are pirates."

"Would you mind telling me a little bit about each faction?"

"Shobum is a legion of the space men." The leader of the traders said, "Their leader is a mysterious man who goes by the name of 'Sammy'. Though mysterious, they are quite friendly."

"I see."

"There's Atevatedia. Another legion of space men, they are led by Rusty Shackleford."

She nodded.

"We are the Accord of Breicamen. A tribe under the role of Yuu Hakuja Ito. A noble people, the most connected to the gods and goddesses, we are." He said, "Then there's the Confederation of Guaban. Unlike we, they do not take kindly to spacemen like yourself."

"I'll…keep a note of that."

"And lastly…" His face darkened, "The Animal Moles."

"Yes…we have more than run afoul with them…"

"As have we." He said, "For nearly centuries. These ravenous pirates take what they want and have no morality whatsoever about doing it. Factions long and wide are dead-set on the elimination of this band of misfits. Be wary, few who travel through their territories make it out alive."

* * *

"No way!" Cadmus slammed his fist on the table, swallowing a bit of corn, "They were selling slaves?!"

Phoebe nodded. Everyone was sitting at the table eating dinner, they were also more or less staring at Phoebe like it was story time, "Yes…it…felt very strange…I…I almost wanted to buy some of them…they looked like they needed help." She said. "Though…it's nice to know that we'll get traders coming through every once in a while to help circulate things."

"Eh, I don't know…" Cadmus said, "I feel like buying slaves…is…dirty…jeez…who the hell let's that kinda shit slide?"

"You guys really don't get it, do you?" Toni crossed her arms, "I don't know what sort of rules or 'laws' you had back at home, but they don't apply here. There are no rules. It's like nature, eat or be eaten. Whoever makes the rules are the strongest people out there, the survivors."

The three captains looked a little taken aback at Toni's cold reminder. Phoebe sighed as she took another bite of corn, "I don't think we even have currency…do we?"

"Sure you do, we have tons."

"Tons?" Cadmus asked.

Meowski laughed, "You spacers don't know nothin', do ya?" She asked, "That fat stack of silver in your stockroom. That's currency. It'll fetch a lot of profit dependin' on whatcha use it for." She said, going to take a sip from her glass of water.

"The silver?" Cadmus looked at Genevieve, "That was for the relief effort…"

Genevieve gave a solemn nod, "Well, it may as well be ours now…" She said, "We were supposed to deliver all that to the target planet half a year ago."

"It seems we have eight-hundred silver coins in the vault." Phoebe recalled, "I had figured it useless until now."

Meowski nodded, "Like I said, could fetch for somethin' nice."

"What about gold?" Cadmus asked jokingly, "We come across gold, does it serve as like, double-currency or something?"

"Hell yeah."

"While I didn't purchase anything, I learned quite a bit about the other factions." Phoebe said.

"Please, do tell." Genevieve said.

"Well, there a five factions. Six if you count us. Shobum and Atevatedia are…spacers…I can assume. They're like us…at least, that's what the man from the Accord of Breicamen made it sound like."

"And who are the Accord of Breicamen exactly?" Cadmus asked.

"They're a friendly tribe, there's a nastier tribe under the name of the Confederation of Guaban. So…it's possible we'll be attacked by them someday." She said, "And…we all know about the Animal Moles."

Toni looked from Meowski to the others, "We could have told 'em about that, to be honest…"

"Oh yeah, didn't think about that." Cadmus said.

Genevieve sighed, when Phoebe pressed her for what was wrong, she said, "Nothing…I just…sometimes when my eyes get tired, I go outside to train with Lady…but…it's debatable on whether we're making any progress or not…"

Meowski nodded, "Elephants are mighty 'telligant creatures. They really know what's what. Muffalo well, they eat grass and give us milk…but elephants. If we're in a battle, and ya get knocked down, the elephant knows that it's gotta pick ya up and drag ya back to safety. Heck, it could probably do most of the heavy liftin' around here too, if ya play your cards right."

"I wonder…" Cadmus said, "If Lady's so smart, how come it isn't learning anything?"

Everyone at the table looked at him, "Just because something is _capable_ of learning something, doesn't mean that it'll want to." Phoebe explained.

"I guess…"

"It honestly feels like I'm pouring all our rice down the drain at this point…" Genevieve lamented.

"No need to worry." Toni said proudly, "I think I can squeeze out _one_ more harvest before the crops all freeze to death." She said, "Well… _some_ of the plants at least. I don't have high hopes about the corn being harvested again…but…every little bit counts."

Phoebe smiled, "Your skills with growing still continue to impress me."

"Uh-huh. We're gonna need a bigger freezer soon." Toni said, causing everyone to look at Cadmus, who was busy cutting up his meat.

Cadmus put his fork down after he swallowed a bite, "I get it, I get it, sheesh."

Toni slowly pushed her empty plate forward, hugging herself, "It gets really chilly in here at night now…"

"I know." Genevieve said, looking at Cadmus, "I will remind you once more the build heaters before winter strikes."

These women were going to be the death of him. "Got it, boss." Cadmus said, "Actually…I've been thinking. Not…not about heaters. But about our steel problem, I think I solved it."

"You have?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah. I've been mining that one mountain right behind our base for a while now. At first, I thought it was helpful because it gives us more room to build stuff, and I mine out stone chunks which Meowski can cut into blocks which I'll build with later. But…then I noticed something. Something awesome." He paused for dramatic effect, giving a big grin, "I found steel deposits."

Their eyes lit up, "You did?" Genevieve asked.

Cadmus nodded, "Yeah, wouldn't be surprised if all the other mountains nearby had steel in 'em too. I figure if I keep at it with the mining, I could build hundreds of heaters. Sky's the limit."

Phoebe smiled, "That's wonderful news."

"Hmm…so much steel…collected in one place…how peculiar…" Genevieve mused quietly to herself.

Meowski pushed her plate forward, taking one last sip of her water, "Mmm, that venison sure hit the spot. Much obliged, Phoebe."

"It's no trouble." Phoebe smiled. "I suppose if we're all finished eating, we should retire for the night."

* * *

She was lying in bed long before he was. Cadmus was smiling away, "I can't believe I discovered all that steel." He beamed, "Can't wait to mine it, now that I know what it looks like."

"Sounds exciting…" She said softly.

"Hmm?" He turned around, "What's wrong…you look, a bit more emotionless than usual…"

"I don't know…" She sighed, "I just…I feel like everyone's doing so much important work to make our faction grow and to help us leave the planet." She said, "And I'm just cooking."

Once he took enough of his clothes off, he got in bed beside her, "I mean, we need to eat to survive…"

"I feel like a housewife."

"Bullshit. You know that isn't true." He said, "Without you, we'd still have three people. And you're a good shot. You can't deny that."

She gave a weak smile, "I suppose not." She said.

He gave her a squeeze, "I like that muffalo Meowski tamed. It's pretty cool."

"Oh, is that right?" Phoebe smiled, "Cadmus, the great warrior, feared amongst space…his weakness if a little blue ball of fluff." She pinched his cheek.

"Hey, stop that, damn it. First of all, they are _not_ little…they could probably level a house if you train them right…"

"That sounds like a bit of an exaggeration…"

He started rubbing her stomach, "I mean…I was actually gonna ask Meowski or Genevieve to train it, but…Genevieve's way too busy with her research and Lady as it is…so we may as well hold off on it for now."

She sighed, "Your hand's so cold."

"Oh, sorry, then I'll move it."

"Keep going…it feels nice…" She gave a more shameless sigh.

He rolled his eyes, "Hey…do you think…do you think people are jealous of us?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I don't know. We get to…have sex every night…and they don't. I mean…I feel like it'd be better if no one was together at all. Because we just rub it in people's faces that we have a life necessity that they don't. It'd be like if Meowski was eating food in front of us while the rest of us were starving or something."

She smiled, relaxing into the mattress, "Are you saying that there isn't enough of you to go around?"

His face turned red, "No…I just…forget it."

"I'm sure the others don't mind."

"Well, if they don't…" He said, rubbing his hand on her stomach in little circles, "Then I think you should marry me."

Her eyes looked surprised for the first time in a while.

"What?" He asked, "I mean…technically, I should propose…but…I don't really…like…have anything. I could get a gear and put a shiny piece of steel through it or something. Or silver, but then we'd be wasting money…"

Her cheeks turned pink, "Marry…you?"

"Yeah, why not?" He asked, "You're the best woman ever. You helped me out of the darkness when we first crash landed, and now you make me feel complete. There isn't anything to think about, at least, not for me."

She put a hand on his chest, "Sir Cadmus, and Lady Phoebe…it has a nice ring to it…"

"Damn right it does."

"I suppose I'm rather sold on the idea then."

He smiled and held her face to kiss her on the lips, "Awesome! We can get married!"

"When shall we partake in that?"

"I don't know yet…I…I wanna build something nice first. A nice place to get married. We'll have stone blocks soon, so that'll be a good time to use 'em. It'll be for anyone who wants to get married. We'll be the pioneers of the room, we'll break it in, and we'll be the first couple to get married in there. It'll be great."

* * *

 **A/N:** Marriage is on! A new stonecutter and tamer, new plans, and new information about the factions. We'll see how the colonists put all that effort forward next time! Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Here's chapter seven! In the waning days of fall, Cadmus scrambles what he can to get last-minute resources before the winter! Hope you enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld. But I do own my OC's (The first three colonists, Cadmus, Phoebe, and Genevieve. They were made by the Prepare Carefully mod). Also, the first scene opens with some citrusy action, so if you're not a fan, you can just skim through it/skip it.

* * *

"More…" Phoebe panted, "More…Cadmus…"

"Jeez…you haven't had enough yet?" He asked, pushing himself inside her a bit more, "Don't pretend you're _not_ feeling this…"

Her breathing hitched, "Deeper…"

He rolled his eyes, both of them were covered in sweat, (which was rather saying something for a day in the late fall). There was a knock on the door, "Shit…someone wants us…"

"Cadmus…please don't leave me like this…"

"I won't, I won't…but…jeez…we've been doing this for hours…"

"It has not been _hours_." Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"You get the point." He said, still riding on top of her. Another knock on the door was heard, but he ignored it. It was most likely the feel of her voluptuous breasts up against his chest that made him want to release so badly.

He felt how hard her nipples were, they were practically poking holes in him. He squeezed onto her a bit tighter. It was hard to tell who was making more noise, Cadmus or Phoebe. Nevertheless, his orgasms were always long, arduous, and wet. And this was compounded by the fact that her walls clenched tightly around his shaft as he released, indirectly squeezing out more from him. He fisted some of her hair lightly in an effort to get the last bit of it out, listening to her to hear for her groans to start turning into exhausted panting.

"Christ…damn it Phoebe…" He said, slowly moving off of her, "Morning sex isn't really a good idea…"

"I would apologize, but I think we both enjoyed ourselves far too much for that…"

"I mean, I did…don't get me wrong…but…I barely have energy to do anything now." He said, as they both started getting dressed.

"On the contrary, that should've reinvigorated you."

"Like hell." He said, "The _first_ one might've. We banged twice last night, remember?" He asked, "Damn it…what the hell happens if I need to build something today? Having sex that many times can pretty damn tiring, you know…"

"Forgive me." She said, though the look on her face still was indeterminable. "But sometimes when I wake up before you, which I always do, your…meat down there…looks rather engorged…"

"Yeah, it's called morning wood, and I can't control it."

"Still, having it go to waste would be a shame."

"I guess." He sighed, "Let's just…go see what Genevieve and the others want…"

* * *

"So…uh…what's this guy's name again?" Cadmus asked. The five of them were in the wooden dining room, though instead of breakfast, they were having a meeting. Genevieve was at the head of the table, while the others said around it, bar Cadmus, who was standing against the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Charles Whitestone." Genevieve said, "An old colleague of mine who I worked with for a few missions. His transmission came from what little was left of the escape pods."

"And…how long ago did you get this transmission…?"

"…the beginning of fall…"

"So over ten days ago?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes…I…I didn't see much rhyme or reason to it…but…perhaps I should've mentioned it earlier."

"What'd he say?" Cadmus asked.

"He said that he has a ship on this planet for us." Genevieve explained, "That all we would have to do is travel towards it."

Everyone's faces lit up, "Really? That's great!" Cadmus grinned, "Where is it?"

"The…dove's swamp…I believe?"

Toni crossed her arms and shook her head, "That's literally on the other side of the planet."

There was a pause as everyone's mood darkened. Genevieve swallowed hard, "So…what should we—?"

"Forget it." Cadmus said, "We have a better chance of making our own ship then going across an entire planet, we'd get killed by something. Who's to say that every piece of the planet is a nice forest like this one? It isn't worth it."

"Not to mention all the camps and bases the Animal Moles have set up." Toni said, "They're our enemy. It would be suicide to try to go for a travel that long without getting hunted…even if we stopped and settled somewhere once every hundred miles or so."

"How is the research coming along, anyway?" Phoebe looked at Genevieve.

Genevieve looked a bit downcast, "I…I am working on it…I promise…until then, it might be wise for us to go back to starting our jobs for the day."

Cadmus nodded, and everyone left to go start their jobs. As he went outside, he noticed a persistent rain. "Ugh…" He said to himself, "This gonna be fun…but I guess rain isn't nearly as bad as a dry thunderstorm."

It was the fifteenth of Septober. Twelve days since Meowski had entered the fold, and only one more day until winter reared its ugly head. Though to be honest, Cadmus wasn't worried. Phoebe was cooking nonstop, (though she seemed to really hate her job compared to everybody else). So they seemed to have more than enough food for the winter.

Now the entire mountain behind them was excavated through and through. Aside from the outer walls, which would be perfect to serve as an extension to the base. They'd be protected by the mountain from exterior threats, and especially any sort of fire.

But the best was the amount of steel Cadmus was able to mine out of it. They did _not_ have a steel issue anymore, put lightly. Cadmus had more steel than he knew what to do with, and it was from mining out _one_ mountain. He couldn't wait to see what the other mountains had to give.

He used some of their surplus of steel to build heaters for everyone. So now they were prepared for the winter in terms of food _and_ temperature. The only problem was that they were extremely low on electrical components. They had _two_ left, so if two more people joined and wanted heaters, they were screwed.

At least he had a way of getting steel now. There were eight more mountains around the area. (Though none of them were as big as the one behind their base, except for _maybe_ one). So today's job was that he was going to investigate them, unless Genevieve needed him to build something else.

He got used to hearing the constant _dong, dong, dong,_ of Meowski cutting the stone blocks from the chunks he would mine out. She how she worked was inspiring. How she had time to take care of the muffalo and churn out hundreds of stone bricks per day astounded Cadmus. Now they were sitting at least a-thousand stone bricks, some made of granite, some made of limestone. So the next time Cadmus needed to build something, he would use the stones.

While Genevieve's progress in research was starting to get iffy to Cadmus. (She was yakking about pemmican and penoxycline the other day. Helpful, but nothing to do with ship travel), she had made quite the headway with Lady's training. The other day, she said that Lady now had the capabilities of rescuing downed members of the team, which Cadmus honestly thought was excellent, given the fact that as they grow, they might attract hostile factions like the Animal Moles even more. Genevieve said that she would train Lady to lift objects around the colony next, outlining the storerooms and teaching Lady where to put things when. (Though Meowski warned it was the hardest thing to train an animal, even one as intelligent as Lady).

He saw her out there right now, with the muffalo. Meowski was sitting on a little stool, and there was a bucket underneath the muffalo, as Meowski positioned her hands underneath it. "You want your proof, city slicker? Here's your proof."

Cadmus didn't know what she was talking about at first, then he saw the bucket gradually get filled up with milk. "Huh…wow…so they really do make milk…"

"That's right they do…been milkin' her every few days now." Meowski said.

"Cool." Cadmus smiled, watching the muffalo, it didn't seem to mind the transaction that was happening. In fact, he was pretty sure she was eating during the milking. "So what about the wool? Didn't you say that muffalo make wool? When does that happen?"

She shrugged, "Few seasons or so."

He nodded, looking out in the distance. His eyes widened, "Oh my…god…how could I forget those…?"

"Huh?"

"When our ship crashed…it broke into chunks. I…I bet that if I rip 'em apart…I could get some steel!"

Meowski smiled, "Well then, you let 'er have it, then."

Cadmus nodded, heading towards the ship chunks from the cruiser, and they were each pretty big. Cadmus started ripping them apart slowly.

His eyes glowed when he saw countless electrical pieces inside each one. Each gear and wire he salvaged. He just couldn't believe he got more steel _and_ solved their component problem in one fell swoop.

It still didn't change the fact that ripping apart the pieces took some time, and with the rain, his wild, spiked hair was starting to wilt like a plant. He brushed some of it back, soon he wouldn't even be able to see.

He heard a happy trumpet from beside him, turning to see Lady on his left, and the muffalo on his right (who had since was finished getting milked).

"Hey guys…" Cadmus said, grunting as a metal shard went haywire and flung back, "You guys getting along?"

Lady trumpeted in response, she and the muffalo seemed to be grazing the last of the grasses in the area. She then gave Cadmus an affectionate nuzzle.

"Aw…come here you." Cadmus gave Lady a big hug, "You're the face of this colony, you know that? It's you!" He said, giving it another squeeze. Then he turned to the muffalo, "Don't think you're getting off easy either." He ran over and hugged it.

The muffalo mooed back, letting the hug happen. Cadmus was honestly surprised with how warm and fluffy it was. This thing could clearly survive in arctic conditions with relative ease. No wonder Meowski get hyping up about its wool.

Once Cadmus had broken apart all the ship chunks, he put all his findings in the storeroom, then he took a brief perimeter walk around the outskirts of the base, looking at all the mountains.

His eyes widened when he saw one of them. At one of the corners, there was a gear sticking out, "What the hell?" He wondered aloud, walking over and feeling it, "Electrical equipment… _in_ the mountains? That…that doesn't make any sense…" He wondered. It would certainly solve more than a few of their problems, however. "And what the hell is this blue stuff?" He looked at another angle of the mountain, "That…this stuff shouldn't be here…it's manmade…" He said, "I wonder…"

He paced around for a bit more, then he headed to the garden where Toni was. There buckets all over the place, filled with different fruits and vegetables, and supplies. "Wow…I'm surprised…" He said, "You have time to make another harvest?"

"Eh…kinda…" Toni said, carefully extracting an ear of corn and putting it in a nearby bucket, "I'm making a bum harvest."

"A…bum harvest…?"

"The plants are all going to die soon…so I'm gonna harvest what I can, regardless of if they need more time to grow or not…"

"Hmm. Smart." He crouched down a little, looking at some of the plants. Most of them were withered, dead, or covered in frostbite, "Yeah…these things look on their way out."

"Well, duh." Toni said, "At the warmest, it's forty right now…"

He stood tall again, going to head back inside, when Toni said, "So trouble in paradise?"

He frowned, "Ha, ha, ha, paradise? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You and Phoebe. Seemed kinda tense at the meeting this morning."

"Pfft, it was nothing…"

"Aren't you guys getting married soon?"

"Kinda."

"When is that happening?"

He shrugged, "When I finish making the wedding hall."

"When will that be?"

"I don't know Toni, I'm very busy."

She stopped concentrating on the plants to look him in the eye, "Don't you think you're moving the little relationship a little too fast?"

He was taken aback, "No." He growled, "It's almost been a year."

"Yeah…but…I don't know…it seems…you two together…"

"I don't wanna hear it. We're too _perfect_ , that's all. She's my fiancée, damn it, and that's the end of that." He was annoyed. Toni probably couldn't hold a relationship for _ten minutes_ , he didn't want to hear it from the likes of her.

"Whatever." Toni said, lifting up a bucket or two of corn, "I'm gonna take all this stuff in to the freezer."

"I'll help." He said, picking up two buckets of his own.

"Really?" She looked back, "Thank you…" She said, "That's nice…for you…"

"Tch." He said, following her towards the freezer, "If you really wanna know…her libido is ten times worse than mine, that's what the fight was over."

Toni looked disgusted, "TMI."

"You _asked_ me!"

Their argument was interrupted by a large shadow floating over their heads. The shadow sailed to the northeast, as Cadmus and Toni looked up at it in shock. "Holy shit…" Cadmus said, as the meteorite crashed onto the ground.

Toni looked rattled, but not nearly as much as Cadmus, "This is a rim world, meteors hit all the time." She gave a playful smile, "Something you spacers gotta get used to."

"Toni…it's…it's green."

"Is it?" She asked.

He nodded, "I wonder we can use it." He smiled, "I guess I know my next job after I help you haul all this stuff in…"

* * *

Meowski looked pretty smug when she put her glass down, "Whelp, when was the last time y'all had some milk?"

"Probably when I was a baby…" Cadmus said, taking a sip of his milk, "Still, tastes good…" He said, putting the glass down, "You're doing a pretty good job on the team, Meowski."

All the other women at the table snickered, "Cadmus…Cadmus…" Phoebe kept trying to say his full name, but she was laughing too hard.

"What? What is it?" He asked, then he saw his reflection in the glass of milk, with a milk moustache, "Damn it." He wiped it off.

Toni crossed her arms, "Well, if you _really_ wanna get creative, you can squeeze some of the strawberries and make berry juice. But aside from that, it's either berry juice, milk, or water."

Genevieve nodded, "Cadmus, you may have to make a new storeroom soon. And a freezer."

Cadmus nodded, "Right, I'll get on that soon." He said, "Least we have more steel and wires from the ship chunks…I also found these…metal pieces…like it's steel but…I don't really know what to do with 'em."

"The steel slag chunks? Put them where we've been putting all the stone chunks for Meowski. We'll find a use for them."

"Right." He nodded, "Well, we got a lot of jade from that meteorite." He said, looking at Toni and Meowski, "How valuable is jade?" He asked, considering that these two lived on this planet most, if not all of their lives.

They both thought about it, "You kind of have to make it _into_ something first." Toni said, "Unlike gold and silver…jade kinda doesn't have much value in its natural form, unless it's a _really_ specific trader."

"Right." He said, "I found a lot of interesting stuff when I was scouting the mountains. There's like…machinery _in them_ …" He said, "That's…weird as all hell, but…it might solve our electrical problem…I wouldn't have to worry about running out of it again."

Genevieve nodded, "Machinery in the mountains…my word, that's not normal at all…" She looked lost in thought. She was worried when Cadmus revealed that there was steel in the mountains. Now machinery too? What lived here before them?

Phoebe smiled, "When are you going to start on the marriage hall?"

Cadmus swallowed a bite of potatoes, "As soon as I freaking can." He said, "New storeroom, freezer, and a marriage hall…jeez…it's a good thing I got more steel…and that we have stone blocks…" He said, "I also have another idea."

They all looked at him, "Yes?" Phoebe asked.

"We should a have a room…like…for fun…I don't know…for us to relax and have…fun…cause I don't know…horseshoes might get boring…so…it'd be nice to play or relax or do something else…"

Toni blinked, "So you mean a rec room?"

"…yeah…that…"

"I have another idea Cadmus, if you're willing to hear it." Genevieve said.

"Yeah?"

"I thought I should propose some sort of…workshop…or large workroom. That way if we ever get more stonecutters…or…something like that…then there can be a big room for them to work, instead of crowding multiple work benches in poor Meowski's room."

Meowski shrugged, "I don't mind it, none. If ya need to use my room."

"Alright, a workshop…got it…" Cadmus said, "Damn…I'm gonna have a make a freaking list of all this stuff…" He said. Sometimes he honestly thought that these women were trying to kill him. Mining would have to be put on the backburner until all these construction tasks were done.

Later that night, he returned to his room, with Phoebe, "Hey…uh…sorry about that fight…this morning…" He said, "Didn't mean to rush things."

Phoebe smiled, "You are forgiven."

He smiled back, but it faded soon after. Phoebe had been smiling less and less since they got here. He get that she hated cooking, but, was he doing something wrong? Maybe he wasn't satisfying her enough.

She was already under the covers, while he sat at the edge of the bed, "Didn't know meteors hit this place…" Cadmus said.

Phoebe yawned, "It doesn't surprise me much…goes along with the whole…rim worlds are more dangerous than core worlds."

He looked at the floor, "I still feel like everyone's jealous of us…like…they want what we have…"

"That's not true…they're doing fine."

"Still…I kinda wish better on them. I mean, at least for Genevieve…maybe a nice man will show up to the colony one of these days."

Phoebe turned over to her other side, "I doubt a man will do her much good."

"Hmm? Why not?"

"Genevieve's a lesbian."

His eyes widened, "Wait, she is?"

She nodded, which was really hard to tell in the safety of her covers.

"How do you know?"

"Well she told me, after I got to know her on the cruiser. But…there were just little signs. How she looked at me when we first met. How bashful she was, how she doesn't bat an eye to most men."

"Huh…" He said, "Didn't really know that…"

She turned so she faced upward, smiling at him, "Are you going to get under the covers or what?"

He grinned back, snuggling up beside her, "I can't wait to get married." He kissed her cheek.

"Neither can I."

* * *

 **A/N:** Now they can mine free components, and whatever else is left buried in the mountains. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Here's chapter eight! Winter comes in full force, and the colonists all react to it's changes differently.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

He woke up peacefully, his fiancée was not beside him when he sat up in bed, which wasn't really surprising. Phoebe was the earliest riser they had. So for him to wake up by himself, it didn't really surprise him (the only time she remained in bed was to do a quick, last-minute love-making session).

His eyes widened when he walked outside. Sure, it was the first of Decembary, but he didn't quite expect a snowfall like this. The snow was really coming down. Already it was piled up pretty thick, Cadmus's boots really crunched into the foot or so of snow that packed onto the ground. He took a few steps outward, still overwhelmed with how much the outside area had transformed.

"Cadmus!" He heard a soft voice call him.

He looked around, the falling snow was a little annoying, but not blindingly so. He found Phoebe, patting together a third small ball of snow on top of two larger snow balls. She then situated tiny pebbles into a pair of eyes and a smile.

She smiled when Cadmus finally walked over, "What do you think?"

"Careful." Cadmus grabbed both of her hands, holding them close to his chest, "Probably shouldn't make snowmen with your bare hands, they're freezing."

"I'm okay." She gave him a hug, "It's just snow."

"I know…" He said, "Damn…I can't believe this place turned into a winter wonderland so freaking quickly."

"I know." She giggled, "I think it looks beautiful, to be honest." She said, "Perhaps I'm just more of a winter person."

He shrugged, "Only problem is that moving around out here is going to get obnoxious." He said, "People probably shouldn't come outside unless that absolutely have to…"

"I suppose." She said, kissing him on the lips for a long period of time, "So what are your plans for today?"

"Uh…build…build…and more build…"

She rolled her eyes, "No…I meant _what_ are you making?"

He thought about it, "I should probably knock out making another warehouse really quick, that shouldn't be too hard." He said, then he smiled and kissed her on the lips once more, "Then I'll start the wedding hall. And I'll make sure to make it real nice."

"Hey…uh, guys?" They heard another voice, watching Toni stumble over towards their direction. Stumble being the only accurate word to describe how she was moving. She occasionally jerked in the snow and held both her arms out, trudging towards them, "I…uh…didn't mean to interrupt anything…"

"It's fine." Cadmus said.

Phoebe's expression soured, "I should probably get back to the kitchen." She slowly departed.

Cadmus looked at Toni, "So what's up?"

Toni looked a little surprised at how quickly Phoebe's mood shifted, then she looked back at Cadmus, "What do you want me to do? Since…you know…I can't really garden and all…"

"Hmm…" Cadmus thought about it. Now would probably be an excellent time to ask what Toni's skills were. He already knew she was a great medic and gardener, and knew she couldn't cook or construct, but that was about it. A sinister grin etched onto his face, "I'm surprised you're asking me and all…you know…I thought you didn't _need_ to take orders from me…"

"Ugh…I'm not doing it because I respect you or anything, dummy…I'm doing it because I'm bored…"

"Fair enough." He said, pointing towards the three wind mills in the distance, "First thing I want you to do is cut down any trees by the wind turbines. If the trees grow too big, we'll lose power. Then I want you to clean the base, really good. When the base is spotless, then go around and cut more trees down, I guess."

She nodded, "How many trees should I aim to cut?"

"As many as possible." He said, "I mean, I may not be using wood as the default building material. But I can make chairs and table out of wood, so having a backup stock would be useful. Especially since I'm making a new warehouse next anyway."

"Got it."

Cadmus let her go off to work, then he walked, (or shuffled) through the snow. Once he got inside the base, he wiped his feet off, trying his best not to track any snow. His next stop was for the warehouse. It was time to break out the stone bricks.

This would be the first room he was building inside the mountain, though it technically wasn't really a 'room' for people. He set up the stone bricks, hammering them together. This warehouse would be fairly bigger than the other one he built, just so that he wouldn't have to be nagged about making another one in a long while.

Like with the other storehouse, he didn't bother wasting bricks to make a floor, instead he smoothed out what was already there. Since he didn't need to worry about a floor, he was finished with the stockroom in record time, nor did he really use up that many of Meowski's bricks.

So the storeroom was done. Cadmus took a few steps back. He might've made it a little _too_ big. It took up much more of the inside of the mountain than he had hoped for. With the warehouse, and the little battery room, he would say that the interior of the mountain had room for either two more large rooms, or three or four more small ones. He opted for putting the wedding hall and the rec room in here, making them as large as possible. And any other rooms would be built strategically around the wooden parts of the base, so that they'd be protected by stone. He nodded to himself, happy with the results.

He left the mountain, seeing Toni dusted off some of the dirtier sections of the hallway, "God…I think the winner for dirtiest member goes to Meowski…"

"That doesn't surprise me." Cadmus said.

"It's even worse now that Lady and the muffalo come inside all the time to get warm. They leave dirt around too." She said, heading outside the base again, "I guess I'll start cutting down trees."

Cadmus followed her outside, "Alright." He said, then the sky suddenly went dark, "What the hell?" He looked up. In addition to getting a couple snowflakes in his eyes, he noticed that it was now pitch-black, "No way…it's nighttime already?!"

"No…you…it's not…idiot…how would it become nighttime that easily?" Toni snapped, looking up at the sky with him and pointing at the sky, "See? It's an eclipse."

"Eclipse?"

"Yeah." She said, "The rim world has three moons, and they all have shitty patterns. So sometimes it gets dark at the most random times."

"Damn…"

"It could be worse." Toni said, "At least the crops are all dead. Eclipses are a nightmare for plants…depending on how long they're active. I guess it'd be worse if we were using solar power."

"Huh." He said, "Got a good point there."

He and Toni went their separate ways. Part of him felt bad for Toni, doing all the grunt work that everyone hated doing. But since she wasn't gardening, he had to put her to use. And everyone was doing something to vital to the group to stop. And then there was Meowski, who felt that she was just _too good_ for that. Largely he had gained respect for the middle aged ranch owner, but that little fact about her still annoyed him.

Now it was time to get working on the wedding hall. Worse comes to worst, and Phoebe and Cadmus are the only couple ever to get married in there, then it would be an extra fancy dining hall.

He got another batch of stone bricks, building the walls, doors, and a secure roof over the entire building.

Or at least he _would_ build a roof if he could.

Unfortunately, he made the building too big. It wouldn't be able to support a roof on its own. Cadmus had to ponder this one for a few minutes. He really didn't want to be responsible for a roof collapse injuring or killing himself or his friends.

He eventually grabbed more bricks, making pillars, these would support the roof. He mapped the distance of where each pillar should go, and he built four of them at equal distance away from each other. He then made the roof.

He wanted to build more, he really did, but he was already exhausted, and he would have to build the floor, and the furniture, route power in. This was already a nightmare.

"Hey buddy, still in here?" Toni peeked in the cave.

Cadmus turned back, putting his hammer down, "Yup, still here."

"Jeez…it's dark in here." Toni walked towards the prototype of the wedding hall.

"No darker than outside, I bet." He smiled, "Especially with that eclipse."

"Wanna play horseshoes? Everyone's outside playing right now."

"Even Genevieve?"

"I mean…no…I asked Genevieve to come outside, but she muttered something along the lines of 'high heels and snow are a death sentence' and stayed at her desk."

Cadmus laughed, "Typical Genevieve. Alright, let's go."

Outside, three of the women were playing horseshoes. Phoebe and Meowski were tossing the shoes now, with Toni and Cadmus joining them. He was surprised. The snow had lessened to a flurry, but it had done its damage. The snow that previously went up to Cadmus's ankles went up to his knees. Of course, the snow around the horseshoe pins was cleared out, but the way getting there was still just as bad as going to hell and back.

Cadmus's eyes shrunk when he saw what was a couple feet away from them. Animals were much rare in winter, and thus, easier to pick out. But this one was huge, and as white as the snow. Its fur was very elegant, and its horn was quite sharp and pronounced. The noble creature looked as if it were the size of a house.

"What…what the hell is that _dinosaur?_ " He asked.

"Ah, I was just tellin' Phoebe." Meowski said, "That there's a Thrumbo."

"A…what?"

"Thrumbo." Toni said, "Very rare creatures. Probably the biggest and smartest living thing on this planet."

"Folks'll pay a mighty fine price for its horn. Or even its fur." Meowski said, "A lot of meat in 'em too. But boy, are they not to be trifled with."

"Damn…" Cadmus said, "So…so are we safe?"

"They're usually very peaceful." Toni said, "And very smart. Legend says that they know how to talk…they just choose not to."

"Damn near live for ages too." Meowski said.

"It's too risky to tame or hunt it though." Toni said, "It's better to let it just roam around."

"I mean…" Cadmus said, "It's winter…so I doubt it'll be here long, there's no food for it."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Phoebe smiled.

"What?" His eyes shrunk, "Is it a carnivore?"

"No…" She giggled, "Just watch."

The Thrumbo looked around, spotting a leafless tree it favored the most. It then ate it whole.

Cadmus's jaw dropped, "No way…it _ate_ a tree?"

"Yes." Phoebe said, "Dendrovorous, I believe the word would be."

"Holy crap…"

"Okay." Toni said, "Score is Phoebe, fifteen. Meowski, twelve, and I have zero." She grinned at Cadmus, "Bet you can't even top my score."

"Tch." Cadmus picked up a horseshoe, throwing it.

"Pfft…wow…" Toni laughed and laughed, "I didn't think it was possible to miss _that_ badly!"

" _This_ why I'm building a rec room."

"Alright lil' girl." Meowski smirked at Phoebe, "Ya ain't taking me down without a fight."

"I don't know." Cadmus felt his head, "This freaking eclipse is making me feel like I'm at an all-nighter party or something…"

Phoebe perked up, her stoic expression shattered, at least somewhat, "Do you all hear that."

The other three looked around, "Hear what?" Cadmus asked.

Phoebe didn't respond, she cocked her rifle.

"Uh… _why_ is she getting her gun out?" Toni looked nervous.

"Wait…I hear it too…" Cadmus said, "Sounds like…hissing…or something…or screeching…"

Their answer came in the form of a few tiny black dots. At least that's what they looked like far away. Once they got closer, they saw that it was a small group of rats, and they all looked positively rabid.

"What the hell?" Cadmus got his axe out. One of them hissed and jumped for Cadmus, biting him hard on the arm, "Ow, damn it!" He slashed at it with his axe, turning it into mush in no time.

Meowski and Toni were also quickly covered in bite and scratch marks, but the rebellious rodents were no match for their clubs. In a few minutes, there were a small group of rat corpses on the ground.

"I do apologize." Phoebe said, putting her gun away, "Shooting at those rats would have been dangerous, especially with how close you all were to them."

"But like…why did they even attack?" Cadmus asked, "Was the eclipse making them crazy?"

"I'll explain when we get inside." Toni said, "It's time for dinner anyway, and we need to get patched up by Genevieve."

Genevieve looked surprised when they all came inside, like a concerned mother, "My, what happened?"

"Some rats decided that they were done with us." Cadmus shrugged, "Patch up Toni and Meowski, I should be fine."

"No, no." Genevieve grabbed his arm before he walked off to the dining room, "That bite will get infected if I don't treat it. Come here."

After everyone was patched up, they all sat around the table for dinner. "I've never seen anything like it." Cadmus said, "A pack of rats…just…attacking in unison like that."

"They were manhunters." Toni explained.

"What?"

"Okay…this planet has tons of problem with psychic waves, psychic drones, and just people and animals descending into insanity. Usually it's just one animal that gets ticked off. But sometimes its entire herds, or packs. Those mice were a manhunter pack."

"Rats."

"Whatever."

Meowski nodded in agreement, "We should all just be plenty thankful that it was rats that attacked us, and not anythin' bigger or stronger."

"Jeez…" Cadmus said, "This place gets more and more dangerous each day…"

Genevieve took a sip of her berry juice folding her hands together, "So…Cadmus? How are you faring with the new buildings?"

"We have another warehouse up…but…I only built the outer foundations of the wedding hall…and the pillars." He said, "Damn…this shit is getting pretty hard with just _me_ doing all the building…I didn't have time to build a new freezer yet…"

"A new freezer can wait, honestly." Toni said, "With no crops, we won't have any more food. So the food count will go down if anything." She said, "The freezer will slowly get emptied. I mean, there's hunting, but…hardly any animals worth hunting are outside now…so…we probably don't need a new freezer until halfway through next year. Besides, the animals can't graze anything anymore, so they're eating from our food storage too."

Cadmus nodded with the others, swallowing hard when he heard Toni say 'years,' like it was such a casual fact that they'd be staying here for that long. He knew it'd be stupid to doubt Genevieve's genius, he knew she was trying hard, but honestly, he hated it here. He wasn't sure how many people were with him, but he wanted to get back home as soon as possible.

Phoebe finished her plate rather quickly, standing up after she pushed it forward. She gave Cadmus a brief smile as she left the room to head to their bedroom, signaling that she wanted Cadmus to follow him.

When the pair left, Toni sighed and hugged herself, "I _really_ hate how cold it is in here…have I mentioned that enough?"

Genevieve nodded, "It is rather cold." She said, "Though I honestly think it could be worse."

"Pfft, I keep telling that edgy idiot, and he keeps saying, 'well, its warm where the heaters are, so just stay in your room, then!' Pfft, moron. It's easy for him and Phoebe, they have jackets."

Meowski gave a shrug, "Doesn't bother me much, none."

"Well it bothers the hell out of me." Toni said, "I'm gonna freaking demand that we build a clothes-making station or something. I'll gladly fashion my own clothes. I made everything I'm wearing now."

"A place to tailor would be a wise idea." Genevieve said.

"I oughta tell that idiot to get working on the workshop, but he's so gaga for Phoebe that he wants to build his little dream wedding first…ugh…pisses me off…"

Meowski stood up, "Whelp, I'm headed for bed." She said, leaving the room, Toni soon did the same.

Genevieve decompressed a little, alone in the dining room. She was usually the last one to bed, and consequently the last once to rise. She'd be either up researching or up contemplating her thoughts. And boy, did they seem to multiply as the days went on.

Every time she told Cadmus or the others how long it was _really_ going to take them to get back home, it felt like she was betraying them. Like she was actively enjoying their suffering. Was she doing enough? Should she somehow research even more? Forego sleeping altogether? Should she abandon her training with Lady?

That last idea was stupid. Honestly, Lady was the only thing that kept her sane sometimes. She liked talking to Cadmus and Phoebe, but recently, they've been so involved with themselves in their so-called 'newfound' relationship that they've been leading her by the wayside. And Toni and Meowski? Well, they seemed nice, but, Genevieve wasn't one to trust people so quickly.

Part of her liked it that way. Being aloof, away from the others. Inside the heart of the heated base while all the madness was happening around her. She preferred it, having a shaky history with human contact ever since what happened to her. She liked the warmth of friendship, of comradery, but didn't like the work and risks to take to get it.

She took a shaky breath, her face looking more resolute. She was going to get them off this dreadful rock. No if's, and's, or but's about it. They didn't call her a genius for nothing.

Tonight was a night for giving Lady a big hug and sleeping in her cozy bed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Seems like they got off easy with those rats. Maybe when their wealth grows, things'll get a little bit tougher. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Merry Christmas everyone, and here's your present, chapter nine (with more to come, hopefully). A lot of big construction projects gets finished in this chapter, with more on the way!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

Her heels clicked against the new stone floors. What rare new things he did make, he made them with stone now, which pleased her immensely.

She looked around the half-finished workshop. The walls had been built, and the floors were put in. She noticed that rather than putting four pillars in their own section of the room, like he did with the half-finished wedding hall, he made one _big_ pillar, in the shape of an X.

The placement of the workshop was also somewhat strategic. It was essentially the west stone shell of their base. It was the outermost room to the west of the base, so that any fire coming from that direction would be quickly negated. Genevieve was pleased. If Cadmus repeated this a few more times, they wouldn't have to worry about fire anymore.

Her black lips curved into a smile when she saw Cadmus enter the room, "It looks beautiful, Cadmus."

Cadmus crossed his arms out of modesty, "I mean…only the basics are built…"

"Yes, I've noticed. It's still pitch black." She chuckled.

"Well, I haven't routed power to the building yet." He said, "Haven't done it with the wedding hall either." He said, "Once I do that, I'll be able to set up some lights."

"Yes, it'll most likely take more than one lamp to light up a room _this_ big." Genevieve noted.

He nodded, "Then I guess I'll put a few work benches in here. A few stonecutting tables I guess. I could just move Meowski's in here. Or I could make that tailoring bench. Toni keeps complaining that she's bored out of her mind with all the grunt work…so…sky's the limit."

She nodded back, smiling at the pillar, "So…the design for this pillar, where did you get it from?"

"Hmm? I don't know…it's pretty basic."

"Oh, I see…"

"What? Did you want me to shape it like an elephant or something?"

"Only if it were possible."

"What are we surprised about?" Toni asked as she walked into the room with Phoebe, "Cadmus's surprising attention to detail?" She asked. "I like how he has the rooms color-coded. The warehouse and the workshop he both used granite blocks, and the wedding hall he used limestone blocks."

"Yeah…cause limestone has a prettier color."

Phoebe gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, while Toni laughed, "Oh my god…he knows his colors!"

"Shut up!" Cadmus snapped, "Get back to work!"

They all split off, Cadmus walked through the halls, while Phoebe went back to the kitchen and Genevieve went back to her desk.

They were all out of granite blocks. He'd say it was his fault, but it really wasn't. He severely underestimated how fast the bricks could fly out of the stockroom. He also severely underestimated how much time it took to build these relatively large rooms. On the day of the eclipse, when he finally planned to make all the rooms, he thought it would be a cinch. But that was almost seven days ago. And all he did was just put up the walls and the floors. He hadn't routed power anywhere, he hadn't set up the lights, and he definitively didn't set up the room's main functions. (The first being elegant tables and chairs, the second being workshop benches). At this rate he'd have to get married _next year._

At least there were still some limestone blocks left, in case of an emergency. He would just have to wait for Meowski to churn out some more granite bricks. And to think, he didn't even _start_ making the backup freezer and the rec room.

Thanks to that manhunter pack, they had rat meat now (Cadmus wasn't sure how he felt about that). Still, it unnerved him quite a bit that animals could just go mad like that at the drop of a hat. Meowski had a chilling point, imagine if something bigger and more ferocious turned manhunter, it could end the colony.

Toni was getting bored of cleaning and cutting down trees, so Cadmus told her to clear away the snow near the base. It snowed occasionally, but never too much to exceed knee-length. Still, knee-length was pesky enough as it is. So for now her job was clearing snow, at least the snow immediately close to their base. (He knew she was just waiting for him to make either a stonecutting table or a tailoring bench). Meanwhile, Genevieve claimed that Lady was _so_ close to learning how to carry things to the stockrooms. But still, they barely needed that right now. There was nothing to haul. There were a lot of things to clean and cut, but still, it was better than nothing. Lady's expertise in lifting would come in handy in the spring though, when there were more buckets of crops than deemed appropriate for one person.

Cadmus paused in the hallway when he heard, what shouting like yelling. But it wasn't a piercing scream of a tribal, or pirate. It was a call for help.

"Hey!" Cadmus yelled, "Phoebe! Toni! Meowski!" He said, heading outside the base.

The four of them were all came outside with Cadmus, stationed in front of the base. "Any particular reason why you wanted us out here, Cadmus?" Phoebe asked.

Cadmus nodded, "You all have your weapons on you, right?" He asked, when they nodded, he said, "Cause I think something's about to go down."

Sure enough, a person was running up towards them from the south, tripping and nearly falling on his face in the snow. He had dark skin, dark hair, a blue shirt, and black pants. "Help me! Help me!" He held his hands up, "Don't shoot!"

Cadmus blinked a few times in surprise, "Hey…what's going on?"

The man knelt in front of them, begging, "Please help me…" He said, "My name is Jack. I'm being chased by pirates from the Animal Moles! If…if you help me…I'll do anything!"

Cadmus thought about it. He looked about Meowski's age, mid-forties. "Join our faction." He said, without missing a beat.

"Right, sure, sure thing boss." He said, standing tall, "Uh…what faction is this?"

"The Elephant Kingdom."

"Elephant Kingdom?" He asked, "Right, cool."

"We'll keep you safe." Cadmus said, "Just get inside the base, warm up, grab something to eat."

Jack obliged and headed to the safety of the base. Cadmus held his axe firm, "Same plan we always do."

Phoebe smiled, "You overwhelm them and I shoot from afar?"

"Yup." Cadmus said, as the four of them headed forth.

After a bit of walking, Phoebe broke from formation to hide behind a tree. Cadmus was partially worried, living in a now winter wonderland seemed to carry its disadvantages. Since there were no leaves on the tree, and no foliage, Phoebe could be spotted easily. But he would keep her safe.

The assailant was dressed in all black, with a black coat and a black wool hat that was appropriate for the weather. Cadmus dove in quick for a first attack, but the raider smiled as he cocked his shotgun. Cadmus's eyes shrunk, but he was too late. He was shot at point blank range.

The problem was, more pellets missed the armor and bit into flesh than he would've liked to believe. He felt blood trickling up his throat as he fell to one knee, choking. He put a hand over his wounds, pointing at the attacker with his other hand, "Get him!"

Meowski and Toni bashed at the pirate with their clubs. These blunt attacks knocked the raider back significantly, but it wasn't long until the raider returned fire. And judging by how much blood Toni and Meowski were losing from each shot, this one wasn't playing around.

Cadmus got himself back into the fight, although he was a bit slower. He swung his axe at him, trying to knock the shotgun clean out of his hands. The attacker, however, was a bit too fast, and he moved out of the way, snickering as he aimed his shotgun at one of the three available targets. Cadmus swallowed hard, another shotgun blast this close could kill one of them, or severely injure them.

The sound that sung in his prayers was heard, as the bolt-action rifle bullet was shot thought the snowy landscape. The raider paused as he was hit by the bullet, actually stumbling back a step or two. Blood leaked from his now exposed heart, as he fell to his knees, then face-planted the ground.

Toni and Meowski looked a little disturbed at the death, but Cadmus was laughing like a jackal. When Phoebe revealed herself to the others, he calmed down, "I noticed you didn't aim for their hand this time."

Phoebe's face was as still and stoic as ever, "Given how in danger the three of you were, I thought a shot to the hand was too risky. Too much of a chance to miss. The body itself would be a clearer shot."

He nodded, "Let's get back to Genevieve. Tell her what happened."

* * *

The four of them found Genevieve in the dining room, with her and Jack at opposite ends of the table. They had most likely been associating with each other while the others were out. "Yeah…uh…there's a dead guy outside…" Cadmus said.

Jack's eyes brightened, "You killed 'em?"

"Like hell we did." He held the raider's shotgun, "You a good shot?" He asked, when Jack nodded, he tossed the shotgun Jack's way, "Catch." He said, Jack barely catching it.

Genevieve stood up, "A dead pirate outside?" She asked, "Let me see…"

She followed them all outside, sighing once she saw the dead pirate on the ground, "Ah, his heart was pierced." She said, looking at Cadmus, "Please bury him."

"Bury him?" Cadmus asked, "He was freaking _attacking_ us!"

"Cadmus." Genevieve said, taking another sigh, "I am going to return to my studies." She left for the base, as did most of the others.

Cadmus growled under his breath, picking up the dead body and looking for a good place to bury him. Jack was still behind him, "Thank you very much…for saving me."

Cadmus cringed. He knew his own voice was nothing to write home about, it was slightly scratchy and off-putting. People often assumed he was a heavy smoker, even though he hadn't smoked a day in his life. But this guy's voice was just downright _annoying_. It was way too high-pitched and grating. But largely, Cadmus let it slide. It was a new member, and a _guy_ , finally.

Burying the pirate took quicker than he expected. He hoped it would be the last time that he would bury an Animal Mole, but, that seemed unlikely. "Alright…" He said, "Guess the next thing I gotta do is make a room for you, or else you'll be sleeping on the ground."

"Right, thanks a lot man." Jack said, following Cadmus to the inside of the base.

Cadmus saw a little green card fall out of Jack's pocket. "Wait, Jack…you dropped something." He looked back and picked up the tiny card. It read _Jacquard 'Jack' Valos. Honorary Veteran of the twelfth division of the Dark Hawks._

Cadmus handed it back to him, "You…you were in the military?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." Jack said, putting the card in his pocket, "But…that was a long time ago…I retired after we won the war."

"Huh…so _that's_ why you took the shotgun…" He said, heading for the stockroom, for some reason, Jack kept following.

"What types of bricks we using?" Jack asked, "Ah, limestone. Those are tough, alright. Bet I could get 'em in real quick."

Cadmus paused and blinked in surprise, "Wait… _we?_ " He asked, his face instantly lighting up, "You can build stuff?!"

"Yes, sir."

"Aw, this is freaking awesome!" Cadmus said, a bit of bounce in his step now as they both started carrying limestone blocks out of the storeroom, "Our construction working output just doubled! We'll be able to be building buddies!" He said, "And maybe even mining buddies too!"

"Uh…not sure about mining." Jack said, "My arm isn't what it used to be…I can't really mine…or carry much stuff. I mean…for building…it's fine…but…" He chuckled nervously, not wanting to be shunned after getting a new chance at life, "This ol' body of mine is a lil' battered…"

"Right, I get it." Cadmus said. Given how Jack was probably nearing fifty like Meowski, he should've expected as much, "Can you clean? Cut plants?"

"Yes, sir. Don't see why not."

"Hmm…good." He said, "So you'll be building with me most of the time, and if you're not doing that, you can hunt for stuff…that way Phoebe can just stay in the kitchen and concentrate on cooking…and then if there isn't anything to build or hunt, you can clean or do other grunt work that isn't lifting."

"Yes, sir."

He was pleased with this. Sure, Jack couldn't mine or carry things, but it still seemed to be a better deal than Meowski, at least, who couldn't do _three_ things. (And she just did it mostly out of spite. Jack at least seemed to have reasons).

Jack's room would be the first bedroom made of limestone, and the first bedroom made out of stone blocks period. Cadmus more or less situated it so that his bedroom hugged the mountain, yet he made sure to make a hallway which connected it to the other segments of the base.

He and Jack build the walls and door first, then the roof, followed by the flooring. Once they laid all the bricks down, they routed power to Jack's room, building a lamp, a bed, a heater, and all the other tiny pieces of wooden furniture that made a bedroom more comfortable and at home.

By the time they were done, they were out of limestone blocks. So now they were out of limestone blocks _and_ granite blocks. But overall, Cadmus was floored. With two builders, it took a drastically quicker time to make everything, it only took half the day to make a bedroom, if that. (Or maybe Cadmus was just used to building large, overly humungous rooms like the wedding hall and the workshop, it had been a while since he made a bedroom).

He and Jack headed to Genevieve's room, usually Cadmus thought it was a good idea to check in on her at times like these to notify her what's been completed.

"Jack's bedroom's done." Cadmus said.

Genevieve smiled from where she was at her desk, while Lady was sound asleep at the other side of the room, "Very good." She said.

"I think me and him are gonna work on the wedding hall together."

"Did you think about using carpets?"

He paused, "Carpets?" He asked, "Huh…didn't think about that…" He said, "Guess it would really save us some time…sounds pretty quick to build, I'll just have to route power through the building and everything and we'll be set. Set up some tables and chairs and presto."

Genevieve nodded, "I just thought…since there's so much cloth lying around that it would be wise to put it all to use."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind." He said, leaving the room with Jack.

"Wedding hall, huh?" Jack asked, "Who's getting hitched?"

"Me." Cadmus smiled, "Let's go finish it up."

* * *

In a matter of days, the wedding hall was finally complete. Thanks in part to the fact that Jack was here to help Cadmus build it. The limestone walls and pillars now had limestone floors to match. And an elegant red carpet was used throughout most of the room to give it a sense of class and distinction. More wooden tables and chairs were lined around the halls and snaked around the pillars than a person could count on either hand. And the front most of the room was left bare so that a wedding ceremony could take place.

Said wedding ceremony involved Cadmus and Phoebe. Both of them smiling at the front, with the other four members of the group sitting at the front-most tables. Tons of meals and various drinks of water, muffalo milk, and berry juiced lined the tables, ready to be eaten once the ceremony ended.

"Alright." Cadmus said, "Who's gonna marry us?" When there was a pause, he asked, "What about you, boss lady?"

Genevieve shrugged and stood up, walking over so she could stand in the center of Cadmus and Phoebe, "I'll make this rather brief." She said, "Phoebe, do you take Cadmus to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Phoebe smiled, "As long as there are stars in the sky."

"And Cadmus, do you take Phoebe to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Cadmus nodded, "Phoebe…I know when we landed…here…on this…wannabe asteroid…we had nothing but scraps of steel…and the clothes on our backs. I was in doubtful…I didn't believe we would survive…I was too clingy to the past, and I just wanted it all to end. But I think you saved me from that. You showed me that even though there may be shitty times ahead, that I needed to live through it and see the light ahead of us. Now I think a lot more positively. And…honestly, if you could do all that in one year…I can't wait to see what we do together for the rest of our lives."

Phoebe swallowed hard, a large blush on her face. "Very eloquent." Genevieve smiled, "You may now kiss the bride."

Cadmus gladly did so. He and Phoebe shared a kiss in front of all of them, Cadmus even tipped her back a bit, causing a few of them to gasp in a sense of shock and pleasure.

Once their kiss ended, Cadmus smiled, "Alright, now what are you all sitting around here for? Let's party!"

Mostly everyone started eating to their hearts content, either that or chatting with one another. Despite the fact that Jack and Cadmus built at least ten big tables surrounded by chairs, the entire faction only filled up one of them.

"Alright, let's dance." Cadmus scooped Phoebe up.

Phoebe's cheeks turned pink as she gave out a rather cute and girlish shriek which didn't suit her at all.

"There's no music…idiot…" Toni said.

"I know…but…still…"

Phoebe gently flicked his temple, "Don't pick me up like that…so suddenly…"

"Come on…you liked it." Cadmus kissed her cheek.

"Maybe one of us could beatbox while everyone else dances to it." Jack shrugged.

"If I had some of my music from back home, we'd all be tuckered out in no time at all, with the dances we had."

"Ugh…having no music is a blessing in disguise." Toni said, "I hate dancing."

"I'm not very much fond of it either…" Genevieve said quietly.

The doors to the wedding hall opened, and Lady and their muffalo barged in, the former trumpeting.

Cadmus gently set Phoebe down, "Aw… _now_ it's a party." He ran over and hugged the muffalo, "How're you doing?" He asked, getting a moo for a response.

Genevieve's expression also brightened, she got up and hugged Lady, her voice going up several octaves as she told her how much she loved her.

The celebration went on for a while, different members talking and laughing with one another, while the animals moseyed about their business and occasionally nuzzled one of their masters. Maybe if they were lucky they all went to bed around midnight.

* * *

 **A/N:** Maybe construction won't be as bad now that Jack's joined the colony. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Here's chapter ten, it's time to see how the colony deals with a big crisis!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

It was the thirteenth of Decembary, and it was still snowy as ever outside.

Luckily at the moment, it wasn't snowing, and occasionally the temperature would dip upward to the high forties, melting _some_ of the present snow. But it was never warm long enough to completely eradicate it. Phoebe supposed she'd have to wait for spring for that to come. Still, being outside was her only escape from being cooped up in the kitchen all day.

During her walk, she ran into her husband, so she figured she may as well give him a piece of her mind.

She grabbed his shoulder, causing him to turn around, "Cadmus, is it true you're regulating the hunting to Jack?"

Cadmus nodded, "Yeah, that way you could spend more time cooking, while he can hunt and construct."

"But I _hate_ cooking."

He looked taken aback. Her tone was still polite and professional, but this was the first time Phoebe seemed genuinely angry, "Sorry…jeez…I mean…if kinda has to be one of us…and…I have to build stuff at a moment's notice…so…"

"Then why don't you let Jack take care of the construction while you cook? Seeing as how you're perfectly fine with letting him do the hunting that I once did."

His eyes grew even wider, "Alright, alright, I haven't thought of it like that…guess we could switch jobs around or something…" He said, swallowing hard. The newlyweds took a walk together in silence after that.

They've only been married for six or seven days, and they were having fights like _this?_ Honestly, Phoebe's mood was debatable ever since the fall started, and he had no idea what he could do to fix that.

He had spent most of free time mining, while Jack did the building. Meowski was also able to produce quite a bit of stone blocks, but the problem was that Jack was using them up just as quickly as Meowski was making them. So far, Jack had made outer walls for the rec room and a second freezer, which were roofed in as well. Maybe he'd help him. One builder alone building rooms that size could be a nightmare, he should know.

Toni was still regulated to the occasional snow patrol, along with cleaning and cutting down trees, at least by next year, the workshop should be up and operational, so then Toni could cut stone blocks just like Meowski could. And Lady was finished with all of her training, so the full results of that would most likely be seen soon.

The pair of them walked over to Genevieve, who was by the front of the base, "Don't really see you out here too often." Cadmus said.

Genevieve smiled at them, though it faded when she saw their downcast expressions, "I find that a breath or two of fresh air can is quite rejuvenating after several hours of studies, even if said air is frigid."

"I wanted to tell you something about what I've been mining."

She nodded, "Yes, go ahead."

"That blue stuff…" He said, "I can't believe it, but for some reason, it was actually in the mountain."

"What? Some type of steel?"

"Not steel. _Plasteel_." Cadmus said, "What would tech like that be down here?"

She shook her head, "It's…hard to be certain…" She said, "Though it may not bode well…between the steel…machinery…and now Plasteel, I don't even want to know what was here before us…"

"The Plasteel's all in the storeroom right now." He said, "I think I mined all of it. It could be useful in a pinch."

Phoebe looked ahead, "I believe traders are coming."

Cadmus and Genevieve followed her gaze, "You're right." Genevieve said.

The group looked just as big as the other traders that had arrived a season or two ago. Though their clothing and gear looked far more current. They had pack muffalos, just like the other group, but they also had an assortment of strange animals, most of which the trio had never seen before.

"Hello there, we bring you greetings from Shobum." The lead trader smiled.

Phoebe smiled and gave a little bow, of course, being flanked by Cadmus and Genevieve probably made her look a bit more impressive and threatening too, "The Elephant Kingdom grants you a hearty welcome."

"We were wondering if you wanted to purchase any of our…" The trader paused, gesturing to some of the travelers in handcuffs, " _Manuel labor_ …we should say? Some of it is as cheap as a-thousand silver!"

"No way…" Cadmus muttered under his breath, " _These guys_ have slaves too?"

"Unfortunately, we do not have that much currency." Phoebe said, "We only have eight-hundred silver coins…can you direct us to something cheaper?"

"Hmm…" The trader thought about it, then he smiled, "Well…we do have some smokeleaf…beer? Go-juice? Yayo? Flake? Wake-up? Psychite?" He leaned in closer, whispering the last name, "Luciferium."

The three of them all exchanged a glance, "Not interested." They all said in unison.

"Not interested in that either, hmm?" The trader asked, thinking again.

Cadmus heard a bit of growling, followed by a howling, but it didn't sound like it came from any ordinary dog. He saw the culprit, "Ew…" He made a face, "What the hell is that?" He pointed.

"Hmm? Ah, you mean our wargs…" The trader gave a greedy grin once more.

"Wargs?" Cadmus asked. The beast before him looked like some sort of wolf that was given a divine power-up by the devil himself. Its fur was brown, with a long, overarching black tuft that down its back, with a black tail as well. It was horrendously muscular, so much so that Cadmus could _see_ each and every individual one, if he cared to. It's eyes also didn't look promising, small, beady, and vicious.

"Yes my boy, the warg is a genetically engineered specimen of beauty!" The trader said, as the warg let out another howl, "You get one of these, and I guarantee you that no sucker in his right mind will tussle with you! These things are smart, lethal, and…to the right master, loyal. It'll work hard, kill your enemies without you having to lift a finger, and scare off any future attacks. All for the low, modest price of eight-hundred silver."

The three of them exchanged a glance again, as if they were having a telekinetic meeting on the matter. No way they were spending all their money on some sort of demon wolf, or at least, that's what Cadmus hoped for. Sure, he wouldn't mind a _normal_ wolf. But these things just looked plain evil. Although, they would keep raiders at bay. Still, for the most part it was really up in the air. They were going nowhere fast with this trading session.

"So…uh…wanna tell me what we actually _did_ buy?" Cadmus asked several hours after the trade, in the evening hours.

Genevieve held up the half-dozen or so kits of medicine. Unlike the other kits they crash landed with, these cases had a pink tint within them. "Glitterworld Medicine." Genevieve said. "It's the most powerful medicine there is out there. Stronger than even our med kits." She said, "It'll be useful for emergencies."

"And how much did it cost?"

"Most of our money." Her shoulders sunk, "But…not all of it. There's still a bit left in case we need it."

He nodded. He hated to see their silver go, but Genevieve had a point. The only reliable source of medicine they could get was herbal, in the spring, summer, and fall. So for that reason Genevieve had been only using herbal medicine on them for the time being, unless an extreme emergency took place. Because with twenty-five medicine cases and five cases of Glitterworld Medicine, one could only hope that something disastrous wouldn't fall upon them.

"Those guys sell us the most useless stuff for the most part." Cadmus muttered, "We don't need drugs…"

Phoebe smiled, "We're not a drug pushing nation?"

"No." The other two said, "Drugs are just…bad news…" Cadmus said, "My psychite addicted sister is all the proof you'll ever need for that."

"Yes…I agree…it wouldn't be wise to expose us to those sorts of hard drugs…especially while we're focusing on escaping the planet."

* * *

Sometimes all the numbness of the cleaning got to her, but rarely did it _actually_ bother her.

Because at least she had trees to cut down, or snow to clear. She hated the snow clearing job the most, due to the strain it put on her poor back. But Toni knew she had jobs to do, just like everyone else. Just because it wasn't the most 'important' job didn't mean that it didn't have to be done.

Part of her was almost glad that Cadmus was building a rec room with Jack. She hated horseshoes, and would never admit it to his face, but she was just as bad as Cadmus was at them.

She was getting used to the fact that there was an elephant not only in the colony, but the mascot of said colony too. Out of all the members, she was probably the worst with animals, but she could get used to them over time. Jack seemed pretty friendly too, once you got past that horrible sounding voice he had. Made Cadmus sound like a damn angel. Maybe things here were going to be alright.

Her calm walk through the light snow became anything but that when she heard the sound of ravenous crunching. She rounded the corner. Seeing their muffalo (there hadn't been any other herds of muffalo in a while, let along herds of animals, so she knew from the get-go that it was theirs). The muffalo was lying down in the snow, which, at first Toni dismissed because she thought it was probably sleeping. But then she thought, wouldn't it go inside to stay warm? It knew it could do that, even with all that wool, it was still allowed inside.

Then she noticed the blood all over it. There had been a fight alright, and its killer was about ready to eat it.

"Hey!" Toni shouted, but it didn't avert the bear's attention one bit. So she figured her club would do the trick instead.

She beat the bear in the back with her club, "Hey!" She yelled again.

The bear slowly turned around, not only was it unamused, but it didn't look like it even _felt_ that. It gave a terrifying growl, swatting at Toni in the face with its razor-sharp claws.

Toni fell back, grunting as she hit the snow with such force, she was thankful nothing was broken. She clubbed the bear again. The bear swatted Toni again, flooring her a second time. At this point, it decided to switch meals. It bit into Toni ravenously.

Upon realizing that she was the dinner now, Toni let out a high-pitched scream, punching and clubbing the bear as the large behemoth began chewing on her. Toni growled, trying to crawl away, but her entire body burned with pain. There weren't many places where she wasn't bitten or swatted at, and the snow all around her was starting to get stained with blood.

The sound of a bolt-action rifle was heard, as it pelted the bear right in the midsection. Even so, the gun that felled so many enemies before didn't hurt the bear much either. The bear roared at its new opponents. Toni meanwhile lost consciousness. She was either saved or killed, it was all dependent on if the others could save her.

"Toni!" Cadmus screamed, running through the snow as quickly as he could without falling over or losing his footing. He slashed through the bear with his axe, making the bear lose a lot of blood as it was gashed. The bear growled and went to slash at Cadmus, but he jumped out of the way.

Cadmus drew the bear's fire, while Genevieve, Phoebe, and Jack shot at it from afar. After what felt like forever, the bear was felled, giving one last pitiful roar.

The five of them were in stunned silence for a few seconds. It hadn't hit them yet, the fact that three bleeding bodies were on the ground, "That damn bear killed our muffalo…" Cadmus said.

Meowski shook her head, "Mighty fine shame…" She said, "If we had 'em for a lil' longer, it's wool would grow out…but…now I guess it's good for meat…if nothin' else."

"Crap, Toni." Cadmus said, running to Toni's side, she was absolutely coated in blood, "Hey, hey, Toni! Wake up!" He shook her gently, "Come on, wake up!"

They heard stomping from behind them. At first, the grip on Cadmus's axe tightened, figuring it was another bear, ready for dinnertime.

But it was Lady. She hoisted Toni up with her trunk, running her inside the base.

The rest of the group was surprised. They all followed Lady inside the base. With the massive trail of blood, it wasn't that hard to. Lady gently placed Toni in one of the blue medical beds in the hospital, scooting towards the doorway.

Cadmus blinked in surprise. He vastly underestimated Lady's intelligence. She knew exactly what to do and where to put Toni, even with little to no context or explanation as to what happened.

"I…" Genevieve's voice was shaky, but direct, "I think it's best for all of you to leave the room, and let me take care of her."

Cadmus nodded, as the others slowly filed out, "You'd better use regular medicine…she looks like she doesn't have much time left…"

Genevieve nodded back, "I won't lose her. I haven't lost anyone once they were under my care, and I'm not going to break that tradition now."

* * *

The night crept onward slowly. Toni, still lying in the medical bed, was now wrapped up in tons of white bandages, while Genevieve was meanwhile cleaning off the blood everywhere.

She and Cadmus were the only two left awake, the latter was leaning against the doorframe, "So is she alright?"

Genevieve jumped, not knowing he was there. "I've finished the treatment…but…there's going to be some scarring leftover, I'm afraid."

"Oh yeah?" He walked over, "Where?"

She pointed at Toni's right eye, sure enough, there was four marks that went right over it. Scars from a bear claw, undoubtedly. "Everything else will close up on its own, luckily…so she'll make out just fine."

Cadmus sighed, crossing his arms, "That was a freaking close call…" He said, "We're lucky that muffalo was the only thing that died. If a couple other things were going differently, maybe a few others would have died too."

She nodded regretfully, "I should've known something like would've happened. Leaving our animals outside…in the dead of winter, it comes with its risks."

"Yeah, I just thought the damn bear went mad at first. But…it wasn't. It wasn't just looking for a fight, damn thing was hungry. It wanted a meal."

"It…makes sense. Even though animals largely avoid humans and their encampments, it's not exactly unheard of for them to grow desperate during the winter. They'll cast reason aside to get their meal…"

"Hey…at least we'll get bear meat now…"

"And muffalo meat…" Genevieve said sadly, "Phoebe already butchered them both before she went to bed…she didn't seem very happy to do it to the muffalo…but…"

"Yeah…I know. I…guess it's a good thing no one named the damn thing or formed a bond with it, or else we'd be that much worse off…"

She looked down, sniffling a little, "I'm just…I'm just worried now…none of us are…one-hundred percent safe…what if one day Lady—"

"Hey, hold on now." He grabbed her shoulder, causing her to look up as her teary-stricken face met his, "Lady's going to be just fine. No bear would be stupid enough to attack an elephant. She's too big, and she has killer tusks. Pretty sure that…that makes most predators think twice." He said, moving his hand away, "Even so. She's trained, she'll take care of herself. Nothing's going to happen to Lady."

She brushed her tears away, "You're right…"

He headed for the exit, "I guess we better get some shut-eye or else the sun will come up."

"Wait, Cadmus."

"Yeah?"

"I…throughout my research…there's something you should know…when you finish the workshop, I'll teach you how to make a smithy. With it, you'll be able to craft swords. I feel like a lot of this would have been avoided if Toni had a cutting weapon, one that could draw blood and sever parts. I'll walk you through building one, and then I think you should make Toni a nice sword. So she won't acquire a new scar when an animal attacks."

He nodded, "Good call." He said, "Maybe learn how to make guns while you're at it."

"Already on it."

"I mean, they'll be useless for me, and other people who can't hit crap…but…a revolver and a shotgun might not cut it when the Animal Moles get craftier. Right now, we're nobodies…but I think that bear taught us a lesson." He said, "We're not invincible. We never were. Things can be taken away like that, if we let it. We need to take a stand, defend ourselves. This is a team effort. It was when it was only three of us and it'll continue to be now."

She gave a weak smile, "Well put."

They both went their separate ways, off to bed, after that. Cadmus wasn't too thrilled about the recent circumstances. He didn't reveal it to anyone, but the death of their muffalo shook him, partially for what it _could've been_. A dark part of him considering himself lucky that it was _just_ the muffalo. But still, they weren't living in paradise, far from it, and things could get worse just as easily as they've been getting better.

He was exhausted, it was probably at least one in the morning by now, if not later. He entered the room quietly, wondering if Phoebe was in the mood for anything. (Probably sad or angry sex, knowing how Phoebe's been acting recently). He took his clothes off and went to bed, hoping that everything that happened today was secretly a nightmare.

* * *

 **A/N:** Dem predators tho. Probably the worst thing for beginning players.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Here's chapter eleven! Spring is back in action, but that doesn't necessarily bode a good fortune. As a side note, I know that none of the diseases technically cause coughing, (I don't think coughing is even a thing in the game). But I added some for dramatic effect/storytelling purposes. Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

Spring had made its arrival, at long last, but its effects seemed to be minimal at first.

The snow had receded quite a bit more than it typically had, but there was a stubborn sheet of it left. Still, it was better than it had been in a while. Since the ground was still partially frozen, Toni couldn't work on the crops quite yet, so she was still stuck doing grunt work to keep the base spiffy for everyone else. (She was still furious with Cadmus since he promised to finish the workshop for the tailoring bench, a demand she submitted to him _last year_ ).

Jack and Cadmus had been building as much as they could. They were using too many stone blocks, more than what Meowski was producing, so they had to occupy themselves by other means. They at least were able to install power conduits inside the workshop, as well as outfit it with lights and heaters. Temperature control was important. If it was too cold, the mechanical benches would freeze up immediately and refuse to cooperate. So basically all they needed in the workshop were the physical work benches themselves.

Truthfully, Jack did all the construction now. Cadmus would rather focus on mining, for the time being, as there were tons of rare ores out there he had yet to _discover_ , much less mine out. In the past few days, he had been mining out some of the compacted machinery. Having more than two gears and wires was not only nice, but it seemed like a necessary precaution, given how frequently they were being used.

No one wanted to go through the few dozen servings of muffalo milk. Unless it was some sort of emergency and they were getting tired of water and berry juice, no one just had it in them. Whether they liked it or not, they attached sentimental value to their precious muffalo. And although the muffalo meat, (and bear meat) in the freezer would most likely feed them for at least a partial season, it still left a pang of sadness left within their hearts. Or perhaps a pang of realism, a pang that reminded them that they were, after all, roughing it in the wild.

Genevieve seemed to up her research game as a response to it. Or perhaps it was just mere coincidence. For now she went from researching basic survival needs, like pemmican or refined carpeting, to self-defense and the anatomy of weapons. The smithy would be built soon, as will several stonecutting benches and a tailoring bench. Then the workshop would be complete, for now.

Cadmus had picked up a nasty cough for a while, not knowing exactly where he got it from. He assumed it was from the cold, and nothing more. After all, despite the fact that it was still spring, it still had yet to reach fifty degree for more than a few passing hours.

There was one thing he found strange, during the bustling activity of the lot of them. Phoebe wasn't awake yet. And she was always the first to rise. At first, he didn't pay it much mind, but now he was worried. He decided to go in and check on her.

When he entered her room, she was awake, fully dressed, and sitting at the edge of the bed. Her eyes looked even more distant than usual, "Oh, you're awake." Cadmus said, "Well…here we are. I thought we were all gonna die in a few days after our cruiser crashed…but…we survived here a year. We did it Phoebe…it's fifty-five-oh-one…and we're getting closer, I can feel it."

"Cadmus…"

"Hmm?"

"This…this isn't working."

"What?" He asked, "It's working just fine for me. We have a nice system going."

"I don't mean that. I meant." She pointed at herself, then him.

He looked confused again, but this time there was a faint fear in his eyes. Denial, bewilderment. "You…you can't be talking about us…right?"

She stood up, walking past him, heading for the door, "I think you should build me a separate room. As soon as possible." She left.

"What?" He coughed, following her out. "Hey, wait! Phoebe! We can talk about this, right?" He asked as they both travelled down the hallway, "I mean…I get it…things aren't perfect…but…hey…we can make an agreement or something."

She whirled around to face him. "I seek to make no arrangements with you. What we started…all that time ago…in the waning days of the spring, it will end, now. I wish to sleep by myself, and I'd like for you make it so."

"But…but…what's with you?" He sputtered, "I get it, you hate it here, and I do too, to an extent…but…we need each other…to make it out of here…we feed off each other well…I thought…"

"You kept siphoning my jobs off one after the other…" She clenched her hands into fists, "So I do nothing now but cook! I…I don't feel important to the group at all! You promised me that you would cook instead of me…that you would take the burden off…but you never did."

Cadmus felt the heat of stares. Someone was watching their heated argument, but he didn't care to look at the moment, "'Kay…so I forgot…sorry our muffalo _dying_ distracted me for a day or two…jeez…the hell…one mistake and I'm kicked to the curb?"

"It wasn't just that…" She said, "Ever since I've been cooped up in the kitchen…we haven't even been seeing each other much…compared to the beginning, it just isn't the same…"

"Yeah…cause I've been out building stuff and mining…those are important jobs too…almost as important as cooking…"

Phoebe coughed for a while, "I'm through having this pointless debate with you. Build me my own room at your earliest convenience…" She turned around and started walking away.

Cadmus coughed for a long time as well, "Damn it…that's it? We're done? Just cause I forgot a few things! But we just got married." He coughed a bit more and winced, feeling his head, "You…you little…" He grimaced.

Toni had been watching with her jaw agape, fear on her face. Like she was watching the father and mother of the colony fight and break apart right in front of her very eyes. When Cadmus fell to his knees, she rushed forward to his aid.

* * *

"Huh…" Cadmus's eyes fluttered open, "Where am I?" He asked, sitting up, "A…hospital bed?" He asked, looking around. Phoebe and Genevieve were also sitting up in hospital beds, while Toni was standing in the center of the room.

She crossed her arms, looking at the three of her patients. Honestly the giant bear claw scar on her right eye worsened her resting bitch face and made her all the more intimidating to look at. "I hate to say this…but…you guys all are infected. Fibrous Mechanites."

"What…" Cadmus's eyes shrunk, "A…a disease…?"

Toni nodded, "I recognize the early symptoms."

"Are we gonna die?"

"No. It isn't fatal." She said, "But it's not pretty. There's a lot of inflammation and pain. It gets worse as it progresses…but…even if I didn't treat you at all…it'd run its course and end. Be thankful you guys didn't get a more lethal disease."

"So…those are the symptoms that are entailed?" Phoebe asked.

Cadmus's eyes angrily darted over to Phoebe the second she opened her mouth, but Toni answered her question with a nod.

"Well, this is just great." Cadmus said, "Even if it doesn't kill me…" He stopped to cough, "I got tons of work to do…" He growled, "How will I do it when I'm sick?"

"Actually, the mechanties are a mechanical based disease. They'll actually boost your abilities and strength. But you'll be in a lot of pain, feel like crap, and get tired easily. So in terms of your workload, you'll just about break even."

He muttered something under his breath.

"You three are the ones that got it." She said, "Pretty sure Jack did too. Meowski and I are fine."

Genevieve nodded, "I'm pretty sure Jack can't even get out of bed."

Toni raised a brow, "That…shouldn't be. It's not debilitating…"

Cadmus got out of bed, heading for the exit, "I got things to do."

"As do I." Genevieve said, coughing a bit, "Luckily I'll still be seated…when it comes to my work…"

Toni sighed, "Least we have a lot of herbal medicine, at least…"

* * *

Later that day, yet another poor soul was chased toward the Elephant Kingdoms by the Animal Moles.

She was quite thinned, very dark-skinned, like Jack. She had short black hair, and black and tan clothing. She looked to be in about her late forties, as like with Jack, she was out of breath by the time she reached the base.

"Please…please help me…" She panted, "The Animal Moles…they're chasing me…if…if you assist me, I will return the favor in any way that I can…"

Genevieve nodded, "Head inside, we'll keep you safe." She said, "Your name?"

"Adelynn Shelton."

She nodded again. Once Adelynn was safely escorted inside, Genevieve assembled who she could and they stationed themselves outside to face the impending danger.

It was the five of them, the entire team minus Jack. The five of them raced forward, with Phoebe hiding behind a tree once they travelled far enough. Adelynn had come from the east, which was lucky for them, for that was the most reinforced side of the base. It was lined with a stone wall. The north was also reinforced, as raiders would have to go all the way around the mountain to get to their base.

Phoebe stayed back, while the three melee attackers and close-ranged gunners kept moving on.

Cadmus coughed briefly, "I'll take him…Genevieve…you stand back a little…the three of us will flank 'em."

It was a single attacker again, but she had a firearm of her own. It seemed to be handgun similar to Genevieve's. The raider took aim and fired.

Blood spurted out of Meowski's arm. She hissed and threw out a few swears. Cadmus roared and cut through the attacker with his axe, and blood went everywhere. Genevieve took advantage of the fact that the raider was reeling back, and shot her with her revolver.

Even more so after that, Toni whacked the assailant with her wooden club, and the raider fell to the ground. She quickly got up, coated in blood. She fired her pistol at Cadmus with as many rounds as she could.

Except for that all the bullets _clinked_ off against Cadmus's armor. When the raider realized that she wasn't getting anywhere with him, she fired at someone else. Toni winced, a now bloody wound on her torso.

Before anyone else could attack, Cadmus gave another deadly strike with his axe, nearly bisecting her in one strike. The raider, or her remaining parts, were motionless after the assault. Cadmus's eyes were bloodshot, filled with anger, and underlined by bags. It was the first raider they killed without Phoebe's intervention. This faction would be fine without her, just like he was going to be.

Genevieve gave a slow nod, once it was more than clear that the raider was dead, "Very well…you may all return to your stations. For those injured, I will take care of you. Cadmus…if you could please…bury this woman. Meanwhile, I'll make sure the new member is settling in alright."

* * *

His walks were now painful and dreary. He had an ache in his heart, and an ache everywhere else in his body, thanks to this nonsense mechanite disease. The divorce seemed to hardly affect Phoebe, did she even care about them at all when they were together? Or was it just a game to her? Was it just, meaningless sex? Who would dump everything down the drain after a small handful of disagreements?

Maybe they were more than just disagreements for her. Maybe they meant more than he suggested. Maybe this was a sign that, after Elspeth, after Phoebe now, that he wasn't meant to be in a relationship with anyone. He wondered what his sister would think. Would she be laughing at him? No, most certainly not. She'd be worried for him. She was always so much more of a better person than he could ever be.

He paused when he saw a large pack of something out in the distance. It was high up in the northeast, so he could only barely make it out. Of course, it was springtime, so naturally all the animals were likely going to come flocking back into the area. As part of their migratory pattern, he figured.

What he didn't expect to see were wargs. A good group of them, up there. A grin formed on his face, for this could have been the first good news in a while. He could have someone go out there and tame some of them for free. They'd save eight-hundred silver per tame, and have war machines at their doorstep. That'd show that scummy trader. Between Genevieve and Meowski, the world was their oyster when it came to animals.

Phoebe was standing by the entrance of the base, her arms crossed. Cadmus glowered at her as he approached the door, "What now?"

"Genevieve said that it's imperative that you build Adelynn a room." She said.

"There aren't enough stone blocks yet to make a new room."

"There's also my room that I requested, unless you had forgotten."

He seethed with a horrid rage, "Didn't you hear me…?" He fumed, "I just said there weren't enough stone blocks to make a new bedroom! You deaf?"

While most women would flee at the sound of Cadmus's yelling, Phoebe's eyes only hardened, "There's also the workshop you need to work on. As well as the freezer, that needs to be completed preferably before the next harvest—"

"With Jack in bed…its back to just me building again, you got it?" He snarled, "I can't just make all that stuff appear at the drop of a hat. I gotta wake up, hope I don't feel like shit, and make it myself, now get outta my way!" He shoved her, heading inside the base. Toni was in the immediate hallway as well, smiling and about to greet Cadmus, but he shoved her out of the way too. With the amount of bulging veins, the redness in his face, and sickening look in his eyes, he sooner looked more like a monster than a man.

* * *

Genevieve and Adelynn flinched when they heard Cadmus yelling, but nonetheless their conversation continued, "Ah…the nice crisp air…refreshing, isn't it?" Adelynn smiled.

Genevieve nodded, "So…Adelynn, right?"

"Please, call me Addy."

"Right…Addy." Genevieve smiled, "So…what do you excel at?"

"I suppose that should start with where I came from. Actually…to be truthful, I don't know much about my childhood…or adolescence…I…woke up as an adult, if you will. I slept in a cryptosleep casket for one-thousand years."

Genevieve's eyes shrunk to the size of dots, "So…you were born…in the four-thousands."

"Correct…but slept through most of it." She smiled, "It was all part of a conservation effort, I was told. I was born into the nobility of the Glitterworld royals. I was a peaceful leader and negotiator. And…I also follow the ways of a pacifist."

"You lived in the Glitterworlds…just like us…"

"I'm sorry…just like you?"

"See, most of our group is from very different backgrounds. The three original founders. Cadmus, Phoebe, and myself, we come from Glitterworlds. The rest lived here."

"I see, interesting."

"So you excel at being a diplomat."

"Yes. It's one of my greatest strengths." She said, "But I'm also no stranger to manual labor. Whatever it takes to help, I'll do it."

"I see…" She said, coughing for a bit.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes…I…some of us…caught a very minor disease…"

"Ah, perhaps I can help. I'm…no medical genius…but…I could administer medicine and tend to basic wounds. I want to help you all as much as I can in thanks for what you've done for me."

She smiled and nodded, "We appreciate the sentiment."

"I just have one request."

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I take the night shift?" Addy asked, adding with a smile, "I'm not much of morning person."

"Of course, work whenever you feel most comfortable."

"Thank you very much." She said, and then a pause went by, "I'm also quite skilled taking care of animals." She said, "We always had a garden out back, a very large one. There were a lot of cats and dogs living in it. I befriended all of them."

Genevieve's smile grew, "Very nice."

The two of them watched the sunset together. Luckily the raid only brought minor injuries, and Genevieve patched them up with ease. They also had a revolver in the storeroom now as well. An extra one. And extra weaponry was never to be looked down upon, as it could save their lives in the long run.

After a while or so, Genevieve and Addy heard the sound of barking. Both women turned to see a pair of dogs, with white fur on their legs and lower body, and gray fur situated at the top. They were rather big dogs, half the size of a person.

Genevieve blinked in confusion, "Dogs?" She asked.

"Aw…huskies." Addy got down to their level, immediately being met with romps and licks from both dogs, "Hello there…" She tried to pet them both equally, but this seemed to be a difficult task, given how much they were wandering around and sniffing Addy.

Genevieve looked terribly confused, "But…what would a domesticated dog be doing out here?"

"You've seen what it's like our here." Addy said, "Pirates can attack innocent travelers, pieces of spaceship can crash into the planet. These dogs probably did have owners at one point in time. But…they were either abandoned…or…separated." She said, "Kind of hoping for the second one…honestly."

Genevieve nodded, then backed away a little bit when one of the huskies got near her. The dog jumped up and put its front paws on her, as way of a greeting.

Genevieve couldn't handle the cuteness anymore. At the risk of Lady getting jealous, Genevieve gave the dog a squeeze, "Hello, you! Hello, hello, hello!" She kissed the side of its face, "Aren't you cute?"

Addy squinted at their necks, "Hmm…seems they both have names…" She said.

"Oh…do they?" Genevieve asked.

"That's right. This one's named Pinky." Addy said, "What about yours?"

Genevieve gently held the dog in place, looking at the nametag on the collar, "Cassidy." She said, "Hello, Cassidy." She gave the dog a brief hug. Then she looked at Addy out of concern, "Can we…can we just keep them?"

Addy shrugged, "Unless their previous owners come back. But…I feel like we would've seen them by now."

Genevieve nodded. Somehow, looking at the two energetic, eager huskies, exploring the outside of the base and sniffing around everywhere, she just knew that things were going to be alright.

* * *

 **A/N:** 'Divorced from Phoebe, -20.' Yeah, that was, that was fun to deal with for a handful of quadrums. Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Here's chapter twelve! Things seem to be picking up from all the misfortune the colony felt earlier. Now, will things get better or worse? You'll have to find out for yourself.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

Now that spring was finally making more of its presence known, the snow was all gone. And it had actually gotten warmer outside. The grass had finally all started to grow back, so Lady could graze once more. Combine that with the fact that animals were now visiting the forest at increased intervals, and it seemed like their luck would finally be changing for the better, for once.

She gave a pitiful bout of coughing. It put more of a strain on her voice since it was so soft and delicate. The Fibrous Mechanites were taking a while to run their course, much longer than Phoebe had thought. It had been about six or seven days, half a season, and no one showed any signs of improving. When asked, Toni said that she didn't know of a specific time frame. Well, it could've been worse, it could've been fatal.

It was eating away through their stock of herbal medicine, if nothing else. Luckily they had harvested so much since last year, or else this would be a huge problem. It seemed the herbal medicine did little to nothing in terms of affecting the symptoms. Maybe momentary relief, but the pain and inflammation came back with a vengeance sooner rather than later. It was most likely worse because half their faction caught it.

Jack couldn't even get out of bed. Either he got a bad case of it, or he was older than he looked. Because of this, the building rate slowed back to its normal pace, maybe even slower. After all, Cadmus was sick too. It took him quite a few days to build rooms for Phoebe and Addy, and in that time, he wasn't able to work on constructing anything else. In the interim, Genevieve let the two girls sleep in her room. Her room had three beds in it before, she had no problem with it having three beds again.

Recently though, the construction had been finished, and Phoebe had been sleeping peacefully in a room of her own.

She had met the huskies, and had gotten to know them too. She liked Pinky and Cassidy, she thought they were cute. Both girls, she was told. Addy volunteered to keep a watchful eye out for them, and they unofficially became her dogs. Genevieve saw it as a wise move. Since she was a pacifist, Addy was vulnerable to an attack from a pirate or an animal. Having two stalwart guard dogs would give her all the protection she needed.

It seems in a direct contrast to Lady, the huskies were incredibly easy to train. And this was not a mere matter of intelligence. As Meowski had informed them that dogs were very, very smart animals. It was a matter of natural wildness (after all, how many domesticated elephants have you seen? Okay, compare that to the amount of dogs people own). They had learned every feasible skill that Lady could learn in the span since Addy got them seven or so days ago until now. That was at least four times quicker than how Lady picked up the skills.

In the old wooden dining room, she saw Toni sitting by herself at the table. The empty plate signified that she had just finished breakfast, and all that she had left was a glass of berry juice, which she was taking a sip from now. She seemed happy, despite the recent run-in she had with a bear. Maybe it was because she could finally start tending to the garden again. The temperature was a pleasant sixty degrees, and the soil was soft and warm once more. She was most likely excited for that. "Hey." She smiled at Phoebe when she entered.

"Hello." Phoebe smiled back, "I'm surprised you're in here. Ever since we finished making that large stone dining hall, hardly anyone eats in here."

"What? The wedding hall?" Toni asked, then she shrugged, "I'll eat in either…"

She gave a nod, sitting across from her, spacing out more or less. Most likely she was unwinding briefly before facing a long day of cooking.

"So…you and Cadmus?" Toni pressed.

Phoebe felt her throat one dry. It was the _one_ time she actually liked being cooped up in the kitchen and staying away from others. She knew the conflict with Cadmus had caused more ugly scenes than she cared to count. Some of them were witnessed, but honestly she just wanted to leave the entire thing behind, "Yes…we're…we're through…"

"Aw…really? I thought…I dunno…I thought you two were like…gonna be together forever…you know? At least…that's the impression he gives me…"

"We got together as…sort of a rush…hormones getting released because we were scared and in danger. I assure you, it was more physical than anything else." She said, "Perhaps…perhaps there _was_ something…but…it's gone now. The way the faction runs things…the spark is gone…"

"Aw…there's no way to fix it?"

"Not one that I'm interested in." She stood up, "I…I suppose we should part ways…we both have a lot of work to do."

Later on in the afternoon, Phoebe took a walk outside, clearing her head. The ice and snow had melted around the horseshoes pin. She'd have to play it at some point. But not many people wanted to play with her anymore. Not only did she always win, but she supposed that after a year, people were getting bored of the same old game. That rec room really needed to be completed. But, given their current situation, it would probably be completed in a year or two.

She noticed a large herd of muffalo to the west, and that large pack of wargs to the northeast. She overheard some members of the group have plans regarding the taming of both. Either way, it would be interesting. Filling in the hole left by the void left by their first muffalo would be more than welcome. And since they had huskies already, they may as well add wargs to the canine cause.

Sure enough, she saw Meowski coming up the grassy fields. This was a strange sight, since she was usually inside, stonecutting. (Or at least she was inside for most of the winter. Now that it was springtime, she supposed Meowski had two jobs again).

Meowski looked pleased as ever, chuckling like a proud hardy mother, and she had all the right to be. Not one, but two muffalo were following her back to the base, "Look at what I got here!" She cackled.

Phoebe gave a tiny smile, "Are those…ours now?"

"Yesiree." Meowski said, "Dern near tamed 'em both. I figured, why the hell not? And the best part is it's a male and female." She grinned, "We'll all get muffalo calves!"

"Ah, I see, that is quite interesting." She said, "Well, it's quite fortunate that muffalo are so peaceful and used to human contact. I'd say their addition to our numbers is a most welcome one."

* * *

He felt like he wanted to kill someone, he _wanted_ to kill someone. The disease left his nerves numb and his body weak. His muscles ached, more so than they did with the usual with the endless upon endless construction tasks. And his heart burned for being played like a fool.

Nobody stopped him when he aimlessly wandered through the wooden halls at the heart of the base, orbiting Genevieve's central room like some sort of moon. All of this was his own fault anyway. It was his fault for reading so far into Phoebe's lusty desires. His fault for thinking she meant anything more. And his fault for believing that they weren't all going to die on this stupid rock. He wanted Elspeth back, but, now he could never have her. The thoughts of her being with other men made him physically sick, and now, he couldn't even have Phoebe if he wanted her.

He barged into Jack's room, trying to stifle his coughs, but it was pointless. The old soldier was still in bed, in the same position he was since they all first got the diseases several days ago. "Hey, Jack." Cadmus said, not really caring if he woke him up or not, "I just finished the two bedrooms for Phoebe and Addy…I'm gonna start finally working on the workshop again." He said, then he added, "You wanna…maybe help with that…?"

"Oh…I…" Jack said weakly, "I just don't now…Cadmus…I don't…I don't feel very well…" He coughed, "I…I can't get up…"

Cadmus snarled and clenched his fists. He wanted so badly to say 'I'm sick too, Jack,' or 'grin and bear it like the rest of us, Jack.' (Or in Cadmus's case, just bear it).

The one that came to the forefront of his mind was, 'Look, Jack, we're all sick, so stop being a freaking baby and get the hell up. Start doing some work.' But by some miracle in the heavens, he kept his mouth shut. "Later." He said quietly, not caring if he was heard or not.

He slammed the door as he left, feeling red hot with rage. He thought going outside would help, but now that it was so warm out, it didn't cool off his anger at the slightest.

He looked around, Addy was out with her two dogs, trying to tame the warg pack. That would be incredibly useful if they got even one of those wargs. He heard Meowski had tamed a pair of muffalos, and since they were opposite gender, it meant that they could produce offspring, which would benefit them all immensely.

He looked at the ground, anger and pain had all but consumed him at this point. Did he fall into the trap of lust as much as Phoebe had? Why else would he so easily accept her invitation into a relationship? He had to admit, she looked gorgeous, and they times he spent making love to her, had he become as bad as that pervert he choked to unconsciousness in space?

Even if he could somehow find Elspeth again, would she ever accept him after this? After this, this _embarrassment_. What would Anastasia think? Would she even consider him a brother anymore?

A big flash of red came from out in the distance. Seeing that much blood was bad. Seeing Addy on the ground was even worse. Her tame must have gone more than just a little awry. Her two huskies eagerly ran in for her defense, but they would be no match for an _entire_ warg pack.

He swallowed hard, attempting to yell out and rally those that he could, but he kept coughing before he could raise his voice. He gave frustrated growl. Their dogs weren't just going to die because of his weakness. He opted for a loud whistle instead, when most of the members of the base, (aside from Jack) came out, he led them towards the wargs.

The huskies were bloodied messes by the time they reached them. If they were lucky, Addy and the two dogs were only unconscious, while most of the pack of wargs still looked to be fighting fit. They all growled and howled menacingly, as they dashed towards their opponents in a blind rage.

Cadmus snarled at the nearest warg, and in a few concentrated axe slashes, he bisected one of them. Phoebe stayed back to shoot from a distance, while Toni, Meowski, and Genevieve stayed relatively close, getting clawed and bitten at in the progress.

The wargs were having trouble getting past Cadmus's armor, so he was killing them the quickest. Phoebe was also killing the wargs at a fast pace, since she was so far away, she could get two or three shots off, and that was coincidentally how many shots it took to take down a warg.

Out of the half-dozen or so members of the warg pack, Cadmus killed one of them and Phoebe killed two. Cadmus opted to help Genevieve first. If all their doctors were killed or unconscious, it would bring about a brutal end to them all. With the combined might of Genevieve's revolver and Cadmus's axe, the warg was felled. This left two.

By the time Toni and Meowski received aid (from either Cadmus and Genevieve, or stray shots from Phoebe), they were both soaked in blood from head to toe. More proof that these wargs didn't play around when enraged.

Once the last warg was killed, everyone who injured was taken to the hospital and tended to.

* * *

Recovery overall took a few days. It affected nearly the entire faction, Phoebe was the only one who was unscathed. Naturally, this pounded at their stock of herbal medicine a bit, but everyone pulled through with no lasting injuries aside from a few minor infections that were dealt with.

The huskies even survived, which was pleasant news. They _really_ didn't need another animal's death to weigh them all down. Addy seemed to be the luckiest. Genevieve was surprised that she still had _hands_ after the wargs bit at her so furiously.

Once business was back to normal, Cadmus was getting ready to get back to work with his construction jobs, (seeing that Jack would still be unable to help him). But first, he took another trip into the hospital once again, this time to get a treatment for his Fibrous Mechanites for the umpteenth time.

The doctor on hand would always be someone different. Sometimes it was Genevieve, sometimes it was Toni, and it could even be Addy on occasion. Having half the group have medical experience was more than just a little convenient.

Today the gardener was giving the treatment, (most likely muttering about how she could be planting right now instead of doing a checkup for idiots like him).

Once she examined his vitals, she squeezed open a leafy package of herbal medicine, "Open."

Cadmus narrowed his eyes as he sat up in the hospital bed, he wasn't a child. Nevertheless, he opened his mouth, and Toni put a blue pill in. Cadmus chewed on the pill and swallowed it. He honestly wished it would taste a little better. "Alright." He got up, "I got work to do…gotta make that workshop and actual workshop." He got off the hospital bed, but as he did so he got really wobbly, stumbling and falling into a coughing fit.

"Hey." Toni caught him, her arms around his waist briefly, she only let go when she saw that he was steady, "Fibrous Mechanites doesn't kill…but it can get worse." She said, "Don't overdo it, or you're gonna have a worse time overcoming the disease than everyone else." She said. Cadmus blinked, surprise that she cared so much, or even at all, but then she added, crossing her arms and looking away, "I mean…you have to make me a sword…so…that involves sitting…so…you should be good there…so…um…do that."

Cadmus smiled at Toni's botched attempt to hide the fact that she cared at least a little about him, "Right, I'll make sure to make the smithy as quick as I can."

"Hey, Cadmus." Toni said, "About you and Phoebe…"

He stopped at the doorway.

"Do you think you guys should've…separated so quickly?" She asked, "It…it seems too fast…maybe you could work something out?"

"…honestly, I don't even give a fuck any more about that." He left the room.

She blinked, looking down, "Right."

He headed to the now empty workshop, opting that he would change that in a matter of seconds. The first thing he did was move Meowski's stonecutting table and the chair she sat at to the workshop. (Not that Meowski cared, dirt didn't hurt anyone, she affirmed). He then built another stonecutting table right next to it, with its own chair.

"How's it going?" Cadmus heard a familiar voice.

He turned around, stifling a cough, "You again." He said, "I'm working on it."

"Better get that smithy up." Toni said, her hands a bit dirty from planting so many seeds, "I need my sword."

"You know…you can make your sword…miss…'I like to brag about my crafting skills.'"

"Ah, ah, ah." She raised a taunting finger, "I garden when it's warm out, remember? So you don't all starve to death?"

"I mean…we have tons of warg meat now…so…"

She rolled her eyes, "You gonna build a fueled smithy, or one with power?"

"Probably a fueled one." He said, "The kitchen stove is fueled, and it works out just fine. Any excuse to save power." He said, "Also ,we have enough wood to power anything wood-fueled forever, basically…"

"Alright." She nodded, "Good luck."

Toni left Cadmus alone as he built the fueled smithy. This way he could also save on electric units if he made it fueled by wood. He finished construction of it quicker than he expected, building a wooden chair nearby it as well.

The next project he figured he would work on would be the tailoring bench, and he figured he'd stop being stingy and make _that_ one electric based. So he grabbed all the gears and wires he could find, as well as the steel and the wood, and he started building the tailoring bench.

Once he was finished, he was surprised. Even with four benches in the workshop, and their respective chairs, not even a third of the workshop was filled up. This would come in handy later if he needed to build anything else. He was thankful in the most part for his earlier planning. This room's spaciousness would come in handy.

However, the second he connected the tailoring bench to power, all the lights fizzled out. Cadmus looked around frantically, nothing was on anymore. The benches, the lights, the heaters. He ran outside, seeing that entire hallways were darkened. "Genevieve!" He ran into Genevieve's room.

Genevieve looked at him from her notes, "We lost power…what…what happened?"

"I don't know…" He fumbled, "I think it's cause I hooked up too many things…"

She nodded, coughing briefly, "You might have to build more sources of power."

He gave a quick nod, "Right." He said, "Hey, I got an idea…since we don't really need the heaters anymore, we can turn them off for now…I'll see if any trees are blocking the wind turbines."

Genevieve nodded, flicking the switch off her heater.

He ran outside, a little dismayed that the windmills were doing their best. He would have to build more of them, and maybe build an extra battery or two as well.

The battery room may have been small, but he could squeeze in a fourth battery next to the other three. Once he built that, he went outside, building two more wind turbines next to the three that he originally built near the mountain, "Toni!" He called, "I need you to cut down these trees by the new wind turbines!"

"Can't!" Toni called from the garden, "If I don't plant these seeds now, we'll be screwed!"

"Jesus…where's Addy?"

"Asleep. It's the daytime…"

He gave an annoyed sighed, "I'll do it myself then." He told himself. It only took an hour or two. Tedious, but not annoying.

It felt like an agonizingly long process, but once the trees were felled, power slowly returned to the base.

Part of Cadmus felt relieved, but who would he share his success with? No one would really care, they were too busy working. Jack and Addy were both asleep, due to their own reasoning's. And then there was Phoebe.

Honestly by now, the pain hit him in waves. Sometimes he felt fine, maybe it was the bloodshed of the wargs that sated his anger for now. But it was fading away, and his murderous rage was beginning to prickle around his body. Who could he kill? Who was the most useless member in their group?

He shook with rage, but he wasn't just some serial killer, was he? He wasn't going to let what Phoebe did to him change his outlook on life that much. But his outlook wasn't good enough to start with. They were going to get killed, one way or another. Why did they have to crash? Why didn't they just avoid the asteroid belt?

One of the huskies was sitting right in front of him, more or less smiling as her tongue was sticking out while she was panting. Cadmus blinked for a few moments, stupidly wishing that he could be as happy as the dog was at the moment.

He sniffed, getting down to the dog's level and hugging her. She was taken aback by this, but gradually relaxed in Cadmus's arms. As he cried quietly, she licked his cheek and nuzzled her head against him.

He hated what he had become. Guilt consumed him for constantly contemplating the murder of any of his allies. And guilt consumed him even more so for his constant hunger for Phoebe. He hugged the dog in the middle of the hallway for what felt like hours.

Once he brushed his tears away, he said in a shaky voice, "Thank you…t-thank you…Pinky…for hearing me out…"

The collar said 'Cassidy.'

"Oh…wrong…wrong name…sorry…" He hugged Cassidy again. The husky barked a few times and accepted the hug.

There was a figure watching the entire exchange, even until the end, where both Cadmus and Cassidy parted ways. Crossing their arms, they had a smile on their face, pleased that Cadmus was at least making baby steps to pulling himself back together. Toni then figured she needed to get back to work, and went back outside.

* * *

 **A/N:** Nothing like tame-failing a large, ravenous group of wargs, heh, heh. I hope you all have a good holiday out there, and I'll be updating a bit more in all of fics as soon as possible!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** I'm finally back. Jeez, I haven't written anything in any of my fics for over an entire month! When does that happen? I do apologize, I'll have to post notifications over a lot of my stories, January was not a kind month to me. I was hoping on posting a lot more in many of my different stories, but, it didn't really happen. Nonetheless, I can at least please _one_ of the fanbases today (The tiny Rimworld, in which there are only like seven stories on the game, lol). I hope you enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

The heat summer brought with its arrival was both blazing yet reminiscent. One could assume that it was a reassuring thought that the seasons followed a set pattern, but it didn't make the eighty-to-ninety degree temperature any better to handle. Still, it could have been worse.

As it was only the beginning of Jugust, crops were still making their way to being fully grown. Out of all of them, rice was the only one harvested. Nevertheless, Toni was still diligent in making sure each of the six plots were attended to, to the best of her ability.

Construction of the rec room had slowed. Almost to a halt, it seemed like it. If someone were to walk into the unfinished room right now, and be told that it was a rec room, they would laugh at your face. The flooring was only partially done, and aside from that, only the walls and roof were set up. It would seem almost as though the desperateness to escape the mundane horseshoes was not as prevalent as before, but with one constructor in bed all day, and another too sick to move around much, it suddenly made sense. Cadmus would much rather work on crafting Toni's sword in the meantime. At least he could sit.

Surprisingly, wargs were much bigger than anyone had anticipated, or at the very least, they provided a lot more meat than anyone expected. Given how muscular they were, it wasn't particularly that shocking. And given the amount of meat from carnivorous beasts were in their freezer now, it was safe to assume that the faction was getting quite used to the world of 'eat or be eaten.'

The newest member, Addy, was great as a nightly cleaner or tree cutter. Keeping their wood supply up was helpful, given that Cadmus liked to use wood for what he could, and their stove and smithy required wood to be used. Addy's two fortes were her ability to be a speaker, and her love of animals, both of which were highly situational, but by no means was this a bad thing. It meant that whenever she wasn't doing either of those things, she could do the grunt work that most of the other members hated doing. She was also a decent medic. Nowhere near Toni or Genevieve's level, but still, she could administer treatments for the Fibrous Mechanites, as well as bandage up small and minor injuries with ease.

Jack waltzed into the workshop with a big gleeful smile, "Hey, Cadmus!" He grinned, "I'm all better!"

Cadmus coughed into his elbow, turning towards him, putting Toni's unfinished sword down. (It was more like a lump of steel at the moment). "The hell you mean 'all better'?"

"I dunno, I guess all that sleeping made me build an immunity to the disease quicker cause I was resting."

"You bastard." He stood up, "While you were snoozing, I was out doing all the work that you were supposed to be doing!"

"Jeez…I'm sorry…I just couldn't get up…I was sick."

"Other people are sick too!" He snapped, "What, you don't think I wanted to sleep all the time too? And what about the other people who still have the disease? Huh? We could've been building at double the speed…but no…you had to laze around in bed."

"It wasn't like that." He frowned, "Jeez…I can't help being sick."

"This disease isn't even terminal!" He yelled, "I can't believe your shitty tolerance to pain…you're a sorry excuse for a soldier."

Jack's face darkened. He closed the distance rather quickly and punched Cadmus. Cadmus just barely blocked it with his arm, "Get your filthy hands off of me." He seethed.

"I don't wanna hear it." Jack punched him again, and again. "I'm sick and tired of your high and mighty act, every time you don't get your way, you act like a whiny bitch."

"Least I don't _sound_ like a whiny bitch."

Jack punched him again, "You know, you're only acting out cause of your little divorce with Phoebe. Look, we get it, you can't get your humps no more. Gonna have to suck it up like the rest of us. Maybe if you're lucky you can perv out on someone else."

Veins bulged in Cadmus's forehead. He reared a fist back, giving a roar that would sound at home to a metal singer (which was rather appropriate, given what Cadmus did since he was a teenager). He punched Jack in the face so hard that blood spurted out of his nose. Jack fell over on the ground, unconscious.

No surprise to anyone, but the two of them were both sent to the hospital after their quarrel.

"Ugh." Toni growled, wrapping a green bandage around Cadmus's arm and snapping it off with her mouth, "You guys are both idiots." She said, taking her fists and bonking them both on the head, "Idiots!"

"Ow…jeez…it's his fault…he started it." Cadmus growled.

"You started the gum flapping." Jack countered.

"I don't care who started it." Toni held her hands up, "Herbal medicine doesn't grow on trees, alright? Next time you need to settle things, do it with horseshoes or something."

"But he'll beat me…" Cadmus muttered.

"I don't care." Toni said, "Go, get outta here. Both of you two men, go do something useful."

Cadmus sighed and rolled his eyes, he and Jack shared a final glare with one another before they split off. Maybe she was right, if things were going to keep going like this, then Cadmus would be enemies with all of the other people in their faction. And besides, Jack was completely cured, so that meant that their productivity would go up now.

A soaring sound was heard throughout the air. It reminded Cadmus of that meteor that fell towards their land in late Septober last year, but it felt somehow different. The meteor shook the entire region when it hit, whatever this was, felt lighter.

Needless to say, Pinky and Cassidy were barking like crazy when they heard the huge crash. While Lady and the two muffalo looked rather bored and unamused by it, they simply continued their grazing.

Cadmus exited the base, being greeted by the warm sun, "What the hell was that?" He asked.

Most of the others left through the east side of the base to see what the commotion was as well, "I have no idea." Genevieve said, she squinted ahead, "It looks like…metal shards? A metal casing?"

Meowski shrugged, "Could be some drop pods." She said, "It's pretty common for folks to fling stuff our way, whether they intended to or not."

"No…something's moving…and there's a lot of blood…" Toni said.

"I think it's an escape pod…just like us." Genevieve's eyes widened, "Let's have a closer look!"

The group of them, (minus Addy, as she was a night owl, and was asleep), surveyed the wreckage. There was a man lying on the ground, soaked in blood. It looked like he had fought a war through hell and back.

Genevieve swallowed hard, "Let me take him to the hospital. I'll see what I can do to save him." She started running back to the base, "One of you carry him! I'll prep a bed!"

Cadmus got down and lifted the bleeding man up, "I got him."

* * *

A few days passed before the man even regained consciousness. And a few more passed before he was up and moving.

"Everyone." Genevieve said, as everyone gathered around the hospital to see, "I'd like to introduce you to our newest recruit." She smiled.

"New…recruit…" Cadmus replied dumbly, as everyone else looked rather pleased at the prospects of an eighth member.

"I'm mighty thankful for what y'all have done for me." The man said, a deep rich southern accent, "I was knocking on death's door, 'till you guys came along, that is."

"So like…what happened to you—?"

Genevieve cleared her throat loudly, silencing Cadmus. He crossed his arms, whatever this guy went through, maybe it was too much of a burden to have him relive it now.

"So what's your name?" Cadmus asked.

"Redfields." The man said, "Just call me Redfields." His outfit certainly embodied red. His red shirt was outlined by a red jacket, and he wore a red wool cap as well. His pants however, were green, breaking the trend. The pants looked like they came from some kind of animal, but his red clothing looked like it was made of some foreign kind of silk. Perhaps from a mythical creature the three captains haven't met yet.

"And…you wanna join our faction?"

"Anything to repay the favor of what you've all done to save me."

He nodded, "And what are you good at?"

He thought for a moment, shrugging, "I'm a good shot."

"And…?"

"I'm pretty handy with patching people up, too." He said, "I just have…one thing…I'm not really…much of a morning person."

"Then you can share Addy's shift." He said, "Can you clean the base every night?"

"I'd be more than happy to."

"Good, it's settled." Cadmus smiled, for the first time in a while, at least that was how it felt, "I'll give you a weapon, follow me."

Most of the other members looked at one another in confusion, did they even have any weapons to give?

"Wait, Cadmus." Genevieve said, "Does he have a room to sleep in?"

"One step ahead of you." Cadmus smirked, ever since that time he had to crunch down and built two rooms, one for Phoebe, and one for Addy, he would be more prepared. He would always have one extra room above the number of members. That way, spur-of-the-moment recruits wouldn't faze him anymore. Sure, now that Redfields had the spare room he'd have to build another, but it was better this than rush around and build a room now.

"I'm very thankful for all of this." Redfields smiled, as he and Cadmus headed for the storehouse, "I'll do my best to make it up to all of you."

Cadmus coughed, "No problem." He said, picking out the revolver and handing it to him, "The pirate trying to kill Addy had this. But…let's just say they don't need it anymore where they're burning. So it's yours now. I wish it wasn't such a shitty gun, but, beggars can't be choosers."

"Don't worry, I'll take anything I can get." Redfields nodded. "Uh…which one's Addy again?"

"She's actually sleeping right now." Cadmus said, leading him back to the hallway near the hospital where everyone else was still milling about, "But I'm guessing you two will get along quite well, considering that you're both on the night shift."

"Hmm, I see." He said.

Pinky barked happily, seeing all the commotion, she ran forward to nuzzle the newcomer.

Redfields gasped, backing away and leaning against the wall. He pointed at the husky and raised his voice, "You keep that damn thing away from me!"

Everyone stared at him, like there was something immensely wrong with him. Pinky whined and took a few steps back. Even she was confused about her apparent wrongdoing.

Cadmus bent down and pet the back of Pinky's head to reassure it, "It's just a dog."

Redfields panted, clearly having some kind of episode, "I don't…I don't like animals…at all…keep them away from me…"

Genevieve had a solemn expression on her face, as did most of the others. Cassidy nudged her rear from behind, and Genevieve turned around and humored her with an endless supply of petting. But there was just something lingering on her face. Like she had something that she was dying to reveal.

* * *

"Yeah, that's right! You do it, Toni!" Cadmus shouted, laughing for a while. Sure, he felt terrible thanks to the mechanites, but his mood had improved somewhat at least, "You show those damn plants whose boss!"

"Ugh…" Toni whirled around, her face naturally looking as angry as ever, "Do I hover over you and bother you when you're building stuff, or mining?"

"You do. Constantly. All the time. I don't know why you're surprised that I'm paying you back."

"Is my sword done yet?"

"Nope."

She growled, then a whirring noise was heard. It seemingly deafened Cadmus for a split-second, but that's all it was. Toni, however, fell to her knees in pain, feeling her head.

"Whoa…Toni…" He took a few steps closer towards her, "You okay?"

"I'm…I'm fine…" Toni got up, wincing and feeling her forehead, "Damn…psychic drone?"

"A what?"

"Psychic drone." She repeated, meeting his gaze, "Remember those rats that went mad and tried to kill you?"

"Hard to forget that."

"Well, the psychic levels on this planet are completely out of whack. Some of them, can affect _people_." She said, "Like this one. It's giving everyone in the area a massive headache. Extreme cases involve hearing voices, like a never-ending nightmare."

"…that sounds terrible…"

"It only lasts for a little bit…though…" She said, "And it only affects one gender…so…hasn't exactly mastered complete insanity yet."

"No way…" He said, "You're telling me that _every_ girl is stuck with a permanent headache for days to come?"

She nodded, "Just one of the more fun things about being on this dump of a planet."

"Crap…I should go check on someone then…later…" He dashed off. He headed through the winding halls and to the heart of the base. Where Genevieve was.

Sure enough, their renowned researcher and neuroscientist was hunched over the desk, coughing and feeling her head, with a terrible moan. It looked like she was going to vomit. "Cadmus…?" She weakly looked towards him.

"Hey, Genevieve, it's okay…stay with me…" He put a hand on her shoulder.

She regained her posture, "What…what's going on? Is it something outside?"

"Not really…well…kinda…Toni basically labeled it as a gender migraine…so…I don't know when it'll go away…"

Genevieve fell into a coughing fit, "I have to keep studying…" She started shuddering, her hands shaking as she turned a page.

"Hey." He said, "Don't be afraid to relax and lie down or something. Jeez…I can't even read notes on a normal basis. Let alone, sick, in pain, _and_ with a migraine. Don't kill yourself."

She looked him in the eye. His eyes were probably nothing to write home about in terms of tiredness, but hers were covered in thin red veins, and dark bags under them too. "But…but I must…save us all…I must…find a way to get us home."

Cadmus sighed. Was it hypocritical of him to beg Genevieve to rest while he yelled at Jack for sleeping for a season? Probably, but he didn't care. Genevieve had the most important job in the entire base. She was practically digging for a key to their freedom. She needed to be kept safe and healthy, or else they would all suffer.

The only silver lining in this was that Jack's sleeping effectively cured him from the disease early. So that meant that only the three captains still had Fibrous Mechanites. But still, two of them had that _and_ head pains to deal with now too.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, "So what do you think of the new guy?"

"Redfields?" She asked, "He seems amicable…why?"

He nodded. He agreed, Redfields may have had the same drawl Meowski had, but he seemed much friendlier, and more willing to work for the cause, "Too bad he's afraid of animals."

"And plants."

"He…he's _afraid_ of plants?"

She nodded, "We can't say for sure where he came from." She said, "Who knows? We could be a friendly rim world, compared to some. All I know is I don't want to know _what_ he had to go through to get to the situation he's in now."

Cadmus's eyes widened. Plants and animal. The staple of outdoor life, and Redfields despised both of them. What could have caused that?

"He had a huge scar, going through his chest, like this." She demonstrated, gesturing a diagonal line through her torso, "I don't know if it was from the crash…or…something else. He also fears and hates technology."

"Jeez…"

"It's PTSD, if his interaction with Pinky is anything to go by." She sighed, "Well…it seems we have our resident cleaner then."

He nodded, "Where's Lady? You need to go find her and take a nap."

"She's outside grazing." She said, feeling her head once more, "You seem to be in a better mood…since…you know…if you don't mind me saying so…"

"Honestly, I just don't think about it anymore." He said, "Maybe after a while, I can just pretend it didn't happen."

She nodded, "I'm…trying not to make things worse by picking sides…it…puts a strain on us all…what happened with the two of you."

"I know…" He said, clenching his fists, "I know that when I flip out, it's unprofessional…it scares people…puts them on edge. But…I don't get it…don't I deserve answers?" He asked, "Was I just her damn toy that whole time? Why did she instigate this if she didn't want to go all the way?"

"Because some women are like that." She said, "Maybe the commitment scared her away. You two got into more rifts once the fall began."

"I know…and I didn't pay attention to them…" He said, "Thought all couples argued like that…shit…maybe it is my fault."

"I think the important thing is for you two to both move on and leave it in the past. If you bicker, you're only slowing our eventual escape."

"You're right…" He sighed, fully expecting to get chewed out for fighting with Jack next.

A large boom of thunder was heard, perhaps saving Cadmus from the lecture. "Crap…I should check and see if that's a dry thunderstorm or not." He said, running out of the base as fast as he could.

Of course, this caused him to nearly hack up a lung by the time he reached outside. He panted as he left, looking up at the sky, "Crap…uh…guys?"

Yes, it was another dry thunderstorm. That meant that manual fire stopping would be needed. The north of the base was at least protected by the mountain, and the east side was completely shielded by stone. But the west and south side were vulnerable. This pretty much meant that today's workload would go down the drain, but what else was new?

* * *

 **A/N:** Lol, can you guys guess what Jack's traits are? Heh, heh, heh, well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Here's chapter fourteen! This chapter's a little different than the others, it's a backstory chapter. See, some Rimworld backstories I found so interesting, that I thought it'd be a neat challenge to go into them for an entire chapter. So here it is, the past of one of the colonists, enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

Since the faction was getting bigger and bigger, group breakfasts and dinners were getting less and less common. Everyone had their own schedule, their own things to be doing. This was further exacerbated by the fact that two out of the eight of them were night owls. It led to a more individualistic way of life. If a pair or a group of them ended up in the wedding/dining hall, then so be it. But that's how they socialized, in small groups over larger numbers. Maybe if they expanded even more, some people wouldn't even know one another. Only very rarely, like at the current moment, were everyone in the dining hall at once, getting a head start at their breakfast.

The lights suddenly flickered out, as power surges failed across the colony. Everyone mildly flinched at the light went out. At the surface, it wasn't a big deal, since they had the daylight to see, but nonetheless, it caused them all to pause in confusion.

"We…we lost power…" Genevieve said.

"Don't look at me." Cadmus crossed his arms, "If five wind turbines and four batteries aren't enough to power this whole damn place, then I don't know what is. One of the turbines must be blocked, that's all."

"It's probably just a solar flare." Toni said, leaning her head on her fist in a bored fashion, "Remember when I said the moons here were batshit crazy?" She asked, "Well…the sun can be too. The radiation from a solar flare can knock out power for a while. But it should last for about a day."

Cadmus rolled his eyes, "Still…seriously? That's going to completely mess some of us up…I mean…unless a lot of us are working outside…" He said. All these circumstances were annoying. Three of them still had Fibrous Mechanties, impairing their work, the psychic drone was still zapping all the women straight in their subconscious, and now they had this solar flare too. They would all prey that a raid or man animal pack wouldn't fall on top of this.

Redfields cleared his throat and stood up, "Perhaps I can entertain y'all a little bit. If you're willing."

The seven other colonists stared at him, "Entertain us?" Cadmus asked.

"I find it strange that you never asked me where I came from. Where I grew up. Where I was raised."

He shrugged, "I mean, you were never a prisoner, so we never had a reason to really pry into you." He said, earning brief glares from Toni and Meowski.

"Well…then…maybe I'll tell ya the story of my life, and heck, by the time I'm all through, the power might be back on." He said, "If you're willing to listen, that is."

* * *

Childhood for Garen at the surface seemed similar to everyone else's. His was characterized by the lush green fields that his kingdom lived in. And the large amounts of flora and fauna that occupied the landscape. The kingdom was vast, a rich empire, yet there was plenty of room for nature to survive and thrive.

In his youth he ran a farm with his father, tending to the livestock, primarily muffalo, but it was usually an entire host of barnyard critters. He took pride in his work, doing anything to make his father proud. When he reached adolescence, he would join the king's army and serve him at his side.

"Father, I'm home!" Garen called, giddily running inside, "Is mom making dinner yet?"

"Of course she is, let her take her time, my boy." Garen's father said, giving him a brief hug, "How're they? All fed, right?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded, "All happy muffalo."

"Very good, son. You do your father so proud." He said, heading towards the kitchen. He then heard his son say something that made him freeze in place.

"I visited my friends today…in one of the other villages…how come their muffalo look different?"

He played dumb, "Different? How different, my son?"

"They're just…blue puffs of fur. With four hooves and a face…it's kinda boring…"

"Um…boring…you say?"

"Yeah. Where are their seven arms. Every muffalo have seven red arms coming out of each side, like this." He gestured, "Helps them grab their prey. And they have two sets of jaws. But…the ones I saw all the way over there only had one…weird…"

His father took a labored sigh, "Son…"

"And their plants are boring too. They just…grow…and grow. Our plants are much cooler. They got vines and stuff!" He jumped up and down. "They're friendly vines though…unless you step on them funny."

"Son…the…uh…the soil…around this country…well…it's richer…much richer…than any of your friends' places. So rich that it gives the wildlife here…extra evolutionary tools…to grow, you see. That's why everything here looks different."

"Really, that's so cool! I love it here!" He ran into the kitchen, "Mom, is dinner ready yet?" He yelled, while his father just sighed. One day his son would learn the truth.

* * *

The king, in his golden throne, was actually a bit more modest a king than most. Practical, honorable, and fair, he reminded Garen of his father in a lot of ways. He respected the king a great deal, and because of that, he rose up through the ranks to not only be the king's bodyguard, but his spy, and hunter as well. Garen effectively controlled the entire army, and he followed every order his king had, down to the letter.

The king took a deep and restful sigh, it wasn't uncommon on nights like these for he and his faithful bodyguards to stay up for long nights discussing the morality of certain things, or the meaning of life. (Hell, maybe it's why Redfields was such a night owl now). "What do you think of our…situation…here?"

"Situation…sir?" Garen asked.

"About the genetic manipulation."

"Oh…that…" He said, "I'm not sure…when I found out the truth…it really shook me…I thought…that was just how nature was…I didn't know that we were tampering with their genes…their codes…their _lives_." When the king didn't respond, Garen swallowed hard, "Of course, I don't mean anything by it. Forgive me, sir."

"No, it's quite alright. It is a messy practice, not overseen by myself."

"You seem to be perturbed by it too…if you don't mind me saying, sir."

"I am." He said, "Garen…I've had to watch my kingdom…go from its natural state, to what it is now." He said, "First, he said that he was just going to boost their immune-system, make them stronger and more durable, so we could use them as efficient livestock…or…heaven forbid…mounts if a war broke out. Then he started adding 'evolutionary equipment', things and body parts that just didn't belong. He was meddling in their DNA! Their very DNA! And what was I to do?" He trembled in his throne, "And then for some godforsaken reason he wants to turn the _plants_ into monsters now too…"

"'He', sir? Who is this person? You're not in charge of these decisions?"

The king shook his head, "No. There is a head scientist on an island not too far from here. He's completely mad. I had trusted his judgement decades ago, when we first met. He promised me that his research will better the kingdom…but I see that it's only _himself_ who will benefit…"

Garen narrowed his eyes, "Would you like me to take action, sir?"

The king hesitated, knowing that sending Garen alone would risk his safety, and yet sending anything more would be a declaration for war. "He requested that island for privacy…but…I'm through with it all. Spy on him for me and tell me what you discover. If it's anything even slightly atrocious, I'll banish him from the kingdom, and prepare all the troops for war when he refuses to leave."

Garen nodded, "Yes sir, it shall be done."

* * *

Sailing to the island was quick, almost too quick for Garen's cover. He wasn't afraid of battle, no, he was more nervous about _what_ he would find inside this dastardly lab.

Luckily, the head scientist's paranoia seemed to extent towards not having many allies or subordinates, because Garen was easily able to sneak in. He pretty much concerned himself with following the strange noises that echoed around the lab. Most of the sounds consisted of painful shrieks, and electrical charges.

At the end of a long and narrow hall, was the central room, where all the scientists were. Garen would be spotted if he wasn't too careful. So largely he would have to hide and play it by ear. Only occasionally would he be able to take small peeks.

And every time he did look, he was repulsed. At the center of the room, was a muffalo, coated in strange growths and extra limbs that made the seven-armed muffalos at home look like child's play. The poor thing looked beyond sick, too many things had been stitched onto it at once, and it's body seemed to be failing. A wing hear, a few dozen arms there, and a few extra legs, which didn't even bother to match the four original hooves.

"Sir…" A scientist said, "It seems to be dying…no matter what we do…we cannot change it's relatively peaceful nature, to a violent one. It seems to betray the herbivores keen instincts."

"Be quiet." The head scientist snapped, and old, thin, and wiry man. Owning a screeching, high-pitched voice. If nothing else, the voice and looked portrayed mad scientist quite well, "Stupid animal. Expose it to more radiation. See which types it reacts to positively. Then put the centipede casing on it. Before the stupid thing dies on us."

"But…sir…radiation…will make it worse off—"

"Shut up! I'm the genius here, not any of you! What do I pay you for, do as I ask, and do it now!"

The other scientist complied before the head scientist would get any angrier. Making sure they had their protective suits on, they sprayed the beast with a large level of multi-colored gases. The muffalo mooed over and over again, coughing when it couldn't moo anymore. It tried to thrash about, but it was largely too weak.

Garen's eyes widened with horror. "Well, hurry up! Put the casing on!" The head scientist yelled.

The other scientists obliged, surrounding the muffalo with al large steel case of armor. The eyes on the new metallic body lit up. And the centipede brandished a large death machine that would make the machine guns Garen used back at home look like a child's toys.

Garen swallowed hard, now all the extra appendages suddenly made sense. (Or at somewhat made sense). He ran away, looking hastily around as tears burned into his eyes. All those animals, those plants. What he called 'cool' as a kid. They were all suffering. Genes were not meant to be tempered with, at least not to a stage like this.

The head scientist chuckled and folded his hands, "Good…very good…it seems to have dexterous grasp on the weapon. This may be our best unit yet, as long as the smelly animal still has brainwaves, we can benefit from it! And I can have another hundred shipped out soon. I'll be rich! And no one will ever mock me again, I have the most powerful army a man could hope for!"

Garen meanwhile did some last minute exploring, he eventually found a large storeroom where hundreds, if not thousands of muffalo were being kept. He knew it, he knew that there would be others. Maybe if he could free them all, it would at least hinder the head scientists progress for a little while.

"Hey, listen…" He patted one's backside. Thank heavens it was unaltered, "Time to go, we gotta get outta here! You're gonna die!" He said, "Worse than that, you'll be enslaved to a metal monster forever!"

The muffalo turned to him, giving him a blank stare for a while. Then its three sets of jaws opened up, and a pair of red insect claws sprouted out from the sides, grabbing Garen and holding him into place.

"Ah!" He screamed, thrashing around in its grasp, " _Hidden_ genetic manipulation?!"

The head scientist perked up, "What the hell was that noise?" He asked, turning to some of the guards with gas guns, "Go search the outer section. Now!"

The muffalo started consuming him, and all the other muffalo turned towards the commotion, smelling the fresh blood. They were carnivores now. They wanted in on the free meal.

Garen snapped the two arms away from him, now coated in blood. He ran for his life, heading back to the boat was his only option. That was a fierce hold, if it weren't for his intense combat training that every soldier had, he would have been dead right there.

Worse still, the muffalo were chasing after him. And while they were slow normally, these ones seemed quite speedy. And he eventually heard voices of the guards in the mix.

Making it to the boat was not an easy ordeal. His wounds were large and deep, he needed medical attention right away. But worse still, was what was yet to come. This meant war. And it was a war they would probably lose.

* * *

He warned them all, warned them that it wasn't worth their pride, this impending war. That it would be over so quickly. But the king and his subjects didn't listen. Either roused by guilt for allowing it all to happen, or stirred by anger for the head scientist, the king wanted to fight, now more than ever.

A strange thing, quickly noticed in the beginning of the battle, was how much bigger the king's army was compared to the head scientist.

"Any last words?" The king asked.

"You…simpering buffoon…" The head scientist smirked, "I don't even need to use the centipedes against you…you'll all die soon before that…"

"Centipedes?"

The head scientist laughed and laughed, "I control all the wildlife in your land! You death will come straight from the very land you cherish and love!" He said, as his squad released a chemical gas that sent every animal in the control into a rabid, mutinous rage. Any mutation they had exaggerated itself even further.

"Charge!" The king yelled.

Garen led the assault, cocking his light machine gun. But his fellow soldiers were down left and right. The dogs had three heads, the muffalo had seven arms, the cobras were three times as big as they usually were, the flightless ostriches and emus were now scaled like dragons, even able to breathe fire. Garen shot at anything that moved in front of him.

He tripped on a vine, and the plant grew in size and came to life, roaring at him, with its now three huge sets of flytrap jaws.

Garen screamed, barely able to escape the grasp, as he gunned down the plant. The plant screamed in pain and wilted.

By sunset, the outcome of the war already looked present. The king was dead, and so were most of the civilians. Garen couldn't even see any other soldiers.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! I win! I win you old fool!" The head scientist laughed.

Garen seethed with rage, trembling with fear, and shook with sadness. As tears dripped from his eyes, he held his gun firmly, "Back to zero…we need to start…all over again! We need to wash all this away! Wash it away with blood!" He reloaded and yelled as he started killing everything in front of him with a barrage of bullets.

Without anyone else to focus on, the muffalo and other enraged animals charged towards Garen. He grit his teeth and fired back. The nearby muffalo took advantage of their many limbs, slashing a claw right through his chest. A large section of his chest ripped open, causing a lot of blood and gore to fall out. Garen screamed, his vision blurred as he fell to his knees, shooting until he couldn't see ahead of himself anymore.

* * *

Tribes could be mobile, it was commonplace, especially on Garen's home planet. He welcomed their culture, and found that there was a lot to learn from them.

"Shall we continue hunting?" One of the tribal woman asked, "We already have such a large haul."

"Just a bit further." Another warrior said, "Than we shall head back."

The first woman nodded, then her eyes shrunk when she looked ahead, "Sister, look…" She tugged on his ally's furs.

"Hmm?" She looked ahead. The fields ahead of them were red. The grass was red, the soil red. None of them could conclude a reason as to why it was this way, until they progressed further and saw all the bodies, human, animal, and plant alike.

"What happened here?" One of the women asked.

"Seems to have been a great battle…no… a war…" Another said, "Everyone…they are lost…"

One man gave a spare cough of two, raising a hand up in the air, "H-Help…"

They all gasped, "A survivor, sister!" One of them ran towards the man, "Please, tend to his injuries at once!"

She nodded and it wasn't long until the entire tribe was surrounding the man. Once he come to a bit more, the first girl held his arm, "You are the great survivor, my friend. You have won the war…"

"War…? The…the war?"

"Yes. You are the lone survivor…you have conquered man and beast alike…Redfields…"

He sat up, the massive scar on his chest now stitched up, "Redfields…"

Not five minutes later, they were beset by bandits, and kidnapped.

00000

The sound of multiple voices conversing woke Redfields up from his daze.

"This one's nice…" One of the criminals said, aboard their starship, "He's a man of war. He's strong, young, nice-looking. He'll fetch a high price." He said, "Civilized too. Rest of 'em…I don't know. They got that whole 'ooga-booga' thing going on, kinda fucks with their prices, ya know what I mean?"

"If we sell them all as a set…it won't matter." Another bandit said, "Make him the lead piece." He nodded towards Redfields.

Redfields clenched his fists. No way was he going to go from casualty to slave without a fight.

He sprang up and body slammed the nearest thug, his eyes darting around. Luckily, the other tribal members were nearby, "Wake up! All of you! Run!"

"Hey, what are ya doing?" One of the bandits snapped, "You're handcuffed…just make this easy on yourself before we kill ya."

He charged into that thief as well, "All of you, run! Just scatter! I'll show you where all the escape pods are…and we'll all escape together!"

* * *

The lights came back on, but hardly anyone noticed it during Redfields's story.

"Holy shit…" Cadmus said, like the others, his jaw was agape, "All that stuff really happened to you?"

"Yes sir." Redfields nodded, "Though I'm sure it's nothing to all the trouble you've been through."

"Yeah, not so sure about that."

Genevieve's eyes looked distant as she stared at the table, "Everyone should try and get some work done while they still can." She said, looking up at Redfields, "And make sure you thank Redfields for his tale."

* * *

 **A/N:** This one was a bit different to write, since it barely had anything to do with Rimworld at all. That muffalo is a centipede idea isn't really mine either, I got it from a few pictures on the internet, basically suggesting that inside the metal casing of the centipede is a muffalo. Sounds creepy, but that's about par for the course with Rimworld cultures. Also, I would like to thank TheGamerTwilight for the review and the kind words. Bah, I was supposed to thank them last chapter, but I forgot…I'm good for that. Anyhow, belated gratitude, and I hope everyone's enjoying the story!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Hello, and here's chapter fifteen! Business in the colony resumes as normal, or, as normal as things can get!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

Summer seemed to be passing by in a slow dreary blur. This was compounded by the drone and disease a good fraction of the colonists still had to deal with. The temperature, however, was still kind, at least to an extent. Occasionally they were even lucky enough for rain to cool them off.

Despite still being sick, Cadmus was able to keep up with any immediate construction tasks given to him, especially now that Jack was back into the game. Usually he often regulated Jack to do the building, while he himself went out to mine for more steel. Previously, they had been running a little low on steel. (Nowhere near as low as they did in the first couple seasons). He didn't want to take any chances whatsoever. So he made sure to go out and mine until they had a comfortable amount of steel once more.

As usual, Toni kept up a good harvest of all the crops, and with Phoebe constantly cooking, they were all well fed, at least. Compound that with Redfields cleaning every night, and they had a clean and healthy environment too.

Luckily or unluckily, (depending on the viewpoint), it seemed they were running out of large rooms to build, only needing to build the occasional bedroom now and then. This was good, Cadmus reasoned, now Meowski could store up the stone bricks in case any of them needed them for a big project later on. Who knows, Genevieve could plan anything at any moment, he needed to be prepared.

He felt bad for Genevieve. She and Phoebe had to deal with the back-to-back disease and drone shenanigans, and he wondered how the woman could even hold her _concentration_ like this, let alone study and make cognitive decisions. He kept telling her not to kill herself over anything, and he hoped that Lady was keeping a watchful eye on her.

Addy on the other hand had become a useful everyman (or woman in her case) to their cause. Because both her dominant jobs were highly situational, she did a lot of tree cutting, as well as cleaning, and she hauled a lot of crops in that Toni would harvest. (Her huskies would help too, and even Lady would join in from time to time). And it wasn't uncommon to see her milking the muffalo in Meowski's stead. Which, again, meant that Meowski could make more stone bricks for them.

Today's mission for Cadmus consisted of a few parts (when didn't they?) But in this case, he was excited for _everything_ he had planned for today. For one, it looked like the rec room would finally be finished, even though he thought up of it _last year_ , probably before Jack even _joined_. The other part of his day involved the workshop.

Genevieve had finally taught Cadmus the parameters of building a machining table. With this, they could finally churn out guns, hopefully some good ones.

The only drawback was how much steel it was going to take to make it, but again, Cadmus was prepared, he did quite a bit of mining. Once he built the table itself, he used what gears and wires he could to power it, hooking it up to the grid. He hoped dearly that it wouldn't cause another power flicker.

When the lights all stayed on, Cadmus took a sigh of relief. He headed for the wooden heart of the base, where Genevieve's room was, directly in the middle of everything. "Finished the machining table."

Genevieve smiled, suppressing a cough, "Wonderful." She said, "What next? Finishing the rec room?"

"That's right. Jack should already be working on it as we speak." He said.

"Oh, I wanted to tell you…I think I should teach you how to make colored bulbs…to give rooms that extra pop." She said.

He raised his eyebrows, "Really? That sounds pretty cool."

"Mmm-hmm…let me show you."

After he was taught, he headed for the unfinished rec room. Jack was already in there, working on a few wooden chairs, it seemed.

Cadmus did his work silently, as did Jack. The former gradually went around the room, building the colored bulbs and lighting them. Unlike a lot of the other grand rooms, he made this room entirely out of limestone, he just thought the color looked better. The pillars supporting the roof were also limestone, as were the floors. But the floors were hardly stone at all. Jack and Cadmus used a lot of cloth to make good carpets in this room. One carpet was red, one was green, one blue, and the last, a creamy color. It really brightened up the room, or at least it did for Cadmus.

Also, the bulbs could match the rugs, giving off a very cool and relaxed feel, depending on which section of the room a person was in.

Once all the lights were powered on, it only highlighted the fact that the two of them were in there, alone. And yet, not a single word had been spoken between either of them. They haven't spoken at since their scuffle a dozen or so days ago.

"Alright…jeez…I can't take it anymore…" If nothing else, he wanted to break the ice, "Jack, I'm sorry…alright? I didn't mean to…I don't know…"

Jack looked down, "I'm sorry too…I guess I went too far…"

" _I_ went too far." He said, "I shouldn't have mocked your lineage like that…"

"And I shouldn't have called you a perv." He said, "I probably shouldn't have dug up your unfinished business with Phoebe either…"

He crossed his arms, "The way I see it, is that we're stuck with each other until we get off this rock. We may disagree every once in a blue moon, but we'll work faster if we get along…so…if nothing else…let's keep being construction buddies. We're all we've got."

"You said it, brother." Jack smiled.

He gave a small smile back, "So what have you been building?"

"Just a few chairs…some chess tables…people like chess…right?"

"I doubt a guy like you or I would…but it sounds right up Genevieve's ally."

He laughed, "You're right, it does!" He said, once he calmed down, he asked, "Then what else should we make?"

"…pool?"

He raised a brow, "Like a pool table?"

"Don't see why not." He said. A literal pool of water would be a feat in itself. Far up north, beyond the mountain part of their base, there was a rather large lake, where they've been getting their water from. Occasionally some of them would take a swim in there too, weather permitting. "We could do poker too."

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea."

The duo both headed for the stockrooms, getting a decent amount of wood, as well as cloth. Unlike the chess table, which would be fine being made entirely out of wood, the billiards table and poker table would need a bit of cloth to provide a softer surface.

Once they put the last leg in the last chair around the poker table, they both beamed, "Awesome, we're done!" Cadmus said.

"Yeah, this room is amazing now!" Jack said.

Cadmus looked around, quite impressed with their work. The mere _prospect_ of finally escaping from the fiery hell known as horseshoes seemed great to him. "Hmm…kinda sucks though…"

"Sucks?" He sounded confused, "What sucks? This room is awesome, it's the best put-together room in the whole damn base."

"There's a little bit of space left, in the right-hand corner." He pointed, "I guess we could put another table there."

"Or a TV."

He looked surprised, he didn't think about that. On the other hand, he didn't really know _how_ they were going to get their hands on a television. Then again, with Genevieve, anything was possible.

The two of them celebrated their completed masterpiece by taking a brief walk outside, enjoying the fresh air, summer heat, and occasional cool breeze that rolled by.

"Jeez…look at those mountains." Jack snickered, "Looks like someone's chewing them out for all they got." He elbowed him, "That you?"

Cadmus chuckled, "At this rate, we'll be swimming in steel." He said, "I mean, not that anyone's complaining."

Jack narrowed his eyes, "That chittering…I recognize it…"

"It's probably just some animal somewhere or something…"

"Exactly. A bad animal."

"Bad?" Cadmus reached behind himself to grab his axe handle, "Like a mad one?"

"No…no…just…hold on…follow me…" He led the way, Cadmus warily following.

"I knew it." Jack got his shotgun out, "Alphabeavers…"

Cadmus looked confused, even more so when Jack got his gun out. Sure enough, in front of them were about ten little alphabeavers, brown hide, and wide black tails. They were sniffing and scuttling around. "Uh…so we have to shoot them?" He wondered aloud. He would expect a response like this to animals from Redfields, but not Jack.

"Watch." He pointed. The group of them started their snack time. Said snack time involving the trees around them. And with about ten of them, it was starting to add up fast.

"Okay…I kind of get it now…but…won't they leave…?"

"They'll leave when every tree is eaten." He looked at him, "Fastest level of deforestation a man's ever seen. You know how much crap we have back home that relies on wood?"

He didn't need to think twice about that, "Alright, kill them all. If they're too fast…and it ends up getting late, have Redfields take over for you. He works the night shift."

"Got it." Jack said, firing at the nearest beavers. With a shotgun, that was preferable, the more pellets that dug into their flesh, the more damage that was done. And luckily Jack didn't seem to mind getting up close and personal to the beavers.

* * *

To put it bluntly, Genevieve felt sick to her stomach.

She could handle the Fibrous Mechanites. She could even handle it when the disease progressed to its last and worst stage. (Which Toni had warned them about). But now, with this psychic drone, everything was worse with this pounding, splitting headache in the back of her head.

She hugged herself tightly, honestly unsure if this was bettering or worsening the situation. "Come on…" She told herself, "Don't throw up…please…" She shuddered, not wanting at all to go through the pain and discomfort of that again. Lady was watching afar from the corner she was sleeping in, a concerned look in her eye. She knew something was wrong. If her master wasn't calmly reading and writing notes, she knew something was wrong.

A deathly migraine and endless nausea. She had felt this before. For most of her young, innocent life.

She looked at the desk, tears of anguish, hatred, and sorrow pouring down her cheeks. So lonely, so distant. She was such a broken, businesslike woman, sometimes it irritated her to no end. What she would give for just a simple friend. A comrade, maybe something more. But was anyone else at this base even gay? Was gay even a thing here? She wanted to hold someone else in her arms, someone to hold her back as well, to tell her that everything was going to be okay.

It was very selfish, she supposed. Selfish of her to think like this. She needed to get back to work, but she was too grief and sick-stricken to do anything about it. She shut her eyes tightly as she felt her stomach lurch. She convulsed even more, crying as she realized what a bitter failure she was. It had been a year and a half, and she still hadn't drawn up plans for a ship for the others. She was wasting their lives away, their precious lives.

She hated the isolation, but she loved it too. For she was too scared to open herself up and properly meet new people. She doesn't trust anyone, not after what happened when she was a girl.

She felt a comforting, yet heavy trunk lay on her shoulder. Something to remind her that she _did_ have friends after all.

She turned around, most of her makeup a mess at this point, "Why…why do you stay…? You stay in this room with me…so much…but…but I'm just…a broken lady…you should go out…run with the muffalo…enjoy yourself…" When Lady slowly nuzzled her, Genevieve gave a bitter smile, "Oh…I get it…you're like me…you're a stranger to these forest dwellers…you don't belong…you'd much rather be with all your elephant friends…but I was an idiot and we crashed here instead…"

Lady gave an impatient trumpet, patting her shoulder with her trunk, and pulling her in with a hug. Genevieve seemed so touched by the hug, that her crying got louder, "I love you so much! I love you!" She hugged her back, "I will always love you!"

* * *

"Is it done yet? Is it done yet?"

Cadmus rolled his eyes, putting the hammer down on the table briefly, "If you keep bugging me, it'll be the shittiest sword anyone's ever seen."

Toni rolled her eyes, "Yeah right…you _live_ to play army…you wouldn't knowingly craft a shitty weapon."

"Don't you have a garden to be running?"

"What? I can't take breaks?"

He muttered something under his breath.

"Besides, speaking of gardens, and crops, there's something I need to talk to you about…mister." She poked the side of his head.

Cadmus paused to cough into his elbow, "This should be good."

"Addy and I…and I mean…most of the animals have noticed something…the…uh…freezer there…it's getting pretty full…"

"Oh boy."

"Tch, don't give me that attitude." Her face fell back into its natural angered position, "You _said_ you were gonna build another one."

"I mean…I built the walls…"

"You'd better hurry and finish it." She said, "Cause soon, everything will just be lying around on the ground, we won't have anywhere to put it."

"Alright, I get it." He said, "Jack and I will work on it as soon as we can."

"Good."

He picked the hammer up and started hammering away, "So I guess you were usurped out of the 'member who hates animals the most' position."

She rolled her eyes, "I don't _hate_ animals…I just…can go without them."

"What do you think of Redfields anyway?"

"I don't know…a new recruit. Whoop-dee-doo…"

"I think he's pretty awesome." He said, when another silence fell, he said, "We finished the rec room."

"You did?" Her eyes lit up, "That's great! No more horseshoes!"

"Ha!" Cadmus nearly sprang out of his seat, pointing at her, "I _knew_ you hated that damn game as much as I did!"

She rolled her eyes, "Still, we should go break it in, with anyone else we can find."

"I don't know…" He said, "I kinda wanted to break it in with something special."

"Ugh…you get sentimental at the most annoying times…"

He kept working on the sword, then he stopped to think, "A new freezer isn't the only thing we'll need."

"Hmm?"

"We're gonna need a freaking new storeroom sooner or later." He said, "Two ain't really cutting it anymore."

"I could see that." Toni said, "Hey…but at least we have a lot of steel…maybe we'll have as much steel as we'll have wood soon." She chuckled.

He blinked, a painfully straight face, "I mean…I can't mine steel _forever_ …you know…" He said, "It's gonna get to the point where I either mined everything on the outside out, or mining inward would cause a roof collapse and kill me…"

"Oh…I didn't think about that."

"Hey, wanna see something cool?"

"What?"

Cadmus held the finished sword up proudly, _shing!_ He held it out towards her, "A sword for a proud warrior, such as yourself."

"You finished it?" She gently took the sword from him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Aw, you're the best! I'm so happy you made this for me! I really appreciate it!" She grinned at her own reflection in the sword, then her expression went back to normal, "I mean, thanks." She swatted a hand.

Cadmus almost fell out of his chair, "You think I'd forget the first thing you said?"

"Hee, hee, hee…I can't wait to cut stuff with this…"

"Don't be afraid to keep stuff to yourself sometimes…"

A huge crash was heard overhead, and as before, the two dogs barked up a storm when they heard all of the commotion.

Genevieve ran into the room, "It's another escape pod, I'll see if I can save them!"

* * *

Like with Redfields, it took quite a few days for the injured passenger of the escape pod to finally get well again. He sat up and looked around the room, a dejected look on his face. He wore all light blue, and the clothing looked spacer in origin. Mostly made out of synthread or hyperweave, just like Cadmus, Phoebe, and Genevieve. He ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair, "This…this is not where I was hoping to crash…" He muttered.

"You better not even _think_ about abandoning us." Cadmus growled, pointing at Genevieve, "This lady here saved your damn life. You owe her a thank you. And you have to work in our kingdoms from now on."

"Cadmus." Genevieve hissed, "He doesn't _have_ to."

"I'm sure I could have healed myself…" The man in blue looked both bored and annoyed by everything, "Nevertheless, I have a sense of morality, I'm not an animal. I will help you and this…hovel…with whatever mission you have planned…my name is Pierre Lambrichts…but…you may call me Paramedic…would you like to hear my skill set?"

"I mean if your name is 'Paramedic' and your best skill is mining, I might be concerned." Cadmus said.

Paramedic rolled his eyes, "Good…that's the humor level we're at. Yes, I'm a renowned physician, doctor, healer, whatever you want to call it."

Cadmus was overall bored with these developments. Sure, the fact that over _half_ the faction had good doctoring skills wasn't exactly a terrible thing. But he was looking for more _versatile_ skills. It took ages to get another constructor, and there was still only _one_ miner, being himself.

"I'm also knowledgeable with crops, and I'm a fairly decent chef."

Cadmus's eyes lit up again. He cast a distant gaze at Phoebe, then he looked back at Paramedic. If their faction was going to keep growing like this, then Phoebe wouldn't be able to handle cooking for them all by her lonesome. It was time to give her some help, "Then you'll be cooking, whenever you're not looking after someone."

"Wonderful." He said, though it was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

Genevieve looked at Cadmus, "Does he have a room?"

He nodded, like with Redfields, Jack and Cadmus built a room ahead of time. "Let me show you the way." He let Paramedic to his room.

Paramedic looked around, "Oh…this is it?"

"Bastard…" Cadmus snarled, "Show some damn gratitude, would ya?"

"At what…this…glorified prison cell?"

He clenched his fists, leaving the room with a loud door slam before he would shout anything that he would regret. He found it amazing that they could find good-hearted people like Jack or Redfields, and then right after them, find a complete jerk like this Paramedic guy. He'd be damned if the entitled bastard lasted thirty days.

* * *

 **A/N:** Seems to be a lot of new recruits popping up out of the woodworks, huh? Hopefully they'll add to the colony, rather than detract.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Here's chapter sixteen! Fall is upon the colony once again, and all the shenanigans that come with it.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

It was a lucky fall. For starters, the Fibrous Mechanites finally faded in all of the remaining members of the kingdoms, which meant that productivity would go up a little bit. The psychic drone had also ended since the summer days have ended, meaning that the girls would all have a bit more piece of mind now than they did before.

It was nice getting a steady supply of muffalo milk once again. It broke the monotony of either water or berry juice. And because there were _two_ cooks now, it made things easier.

However, since it was the early autumn days, Toni most likely had only one good harvest left before she would do her famed 'bum harvest.' But it could be a blessing in disguise. They all had plenty of food and their freezer was stuffed, winter would be a good opportunity to let it drain down slowly.

Since all the bedrooms were occupied, Cadmus and Jack built a spare one. Well, technically most of the building was delegated to Jack, unless it was a seriously large project, Cadmus preferred to mine. He would mine out steel, and if he was lucky enough, compacted machinery.

As for Phoebe, she was taking her morning walk before isolating herself in the kitchen. The air was a bit more chilled, but not overly so. She smiled, seeing Meowski with the pair of muffalo. At first she thought that they were being milked, but it wasn't the case.

"Are they alright?" Phoebe asked.

"Healthy as a horse." Meowski said, "It's time to get their wool."

"Ooh." She gravitated closer, "You're right, I'd nearly forgotten."

"Let's see…" Meowski said, it didn't take her too long to shear the pair. Once she was done, there were huge bundles of blue wool on the ground, "There we go! All sheared and cleared."

"Wonderful." Phoebe bent over to big the large stacks up, "And when will they be ready to be sheared again?"

"'Bout a season or two." She said, "But that there wool's mighty soft and warm. Could make a few jackets outta that. Softest dern jackets you've ever worn."

She nodded with her tiny smile, "I'll take your word for it."

Meowski nodded back, then made a face as she was petting one of the muffalo, "Huh…" She said, "That ain't right…"

"What's wrong?"

A pause, as she examined it closer, "I think our muffalos pregnant."

"Really?"

"Yesiree…looks like we got a muffalo calf on our hands…in two dozen days or so…or maybe less…this one's got quite the belly…"

"I'm happy to hear it." Phoebe said, making her way back. The prospect of a baby muffalo added to their family warmed her heart as if she were a little girl.

She headed back to the base, putting the bundles of wool in the stockroom. She took a deep breath as she left, the stockrooms were getting very crowded, she thought that Cadmus was going to build some more. Maybe she'd remind him, although the two of them have rarely spoken since the divorce.

Paramedic was inside the kitchen when she entered, eyes closed, arm crossed. Perhaps he was meditating or thinking, before unwinding to a full day of work ahead of him. Cadmus had built him his own stove and butchering table. He stirred once he saw Phoebe enter, "Ready for another day of complete stagnation and boredom?"

"I suppose." She smiled, "Somebody's got to do this job."

"Yes, well…I really wish it wasn't us…" He sighed, "I'd enjoy doing anything else…or not even being here altogether…but…you did all save my life…so…I will stay…and help this…kingdom, as it's called, prosper."

Her smile grew, "Maybe we could go out for ice cream when we take the ship back home."

His cheeks went pink, "Ah, that's right…you have a scientist, Genevieve, looking in to the matter, yes?" He asked, "She seems like a wonderful woman. A light at the end of the tunnel with these morons…she'll surely save us from this hellhole."

"Mmm-hmm…" She prepped her stove, "So why do they call you Paramedic?"

"It's what I've wanted to do since I was little. I tirelessly studied in medical school…I…didn't have many friends…but I was the top of my class." He said, "From there, I went into the army."

"The army?" She asked, "You're in good company. A lot of the men here fought in wars."

"Well…not necessarily 'fought'. I was a medic, but a frontline medic. I saw just as much action as anyone else, I assure you."

"It must have been stressful trying to patch someone up on the spot like that."

He nodded, "You see…such horrible things…in war…things you…never want to see again…"

"I know."

"I decided that once I left the service that I wanted no more of it. No more violence, no more chaos…just…peace…but I ended up here instead."

"I hope I can make your stay a better one."

"Don't worry, you already are." He smiled, "So…you said that you knew…"

"Beg your pardon?"

"About war."

"I was a spy, ever since I was nine." She said, "And then I became more of less of an assassin, a sniper. I had to silence those who oppressed my people. And…in my adult life…I reworked the government. I have an entire planet who turns to my beck and call."

"Inspiring…" Paramedic said, "I just knew there was something about you. Something…fresh…and bright. You…Genevieve, and I. We're the geniuses…we make this place important. Hmm…we shouldn't toiling away in this filthy wooden kitchen…"

She gave a dry chuckle, "Cadmus believes that the three captains who crashed here have some sort of an unspoken authority over all the other members."

"Oh…so it's like that, is it? You, Cadmus, and Genevieve are the founders? Hmm…what a foolish notion…I should give him a piece of my mind."

"I told him time and time again that it shouldn't be set in stone."

"And he should've listened to you." He said, smiling at her once again, "You know, now that I look at you…you do seem to have some polished…refined qualities…befitting that of a leader. You're keen, well-equipped, charismatic, and you have a natural beauty too."

Her smile was sinful, she reached out and pulled him forward by the collar, "Don't stop there." She kissed him. He didn't fight back in the least, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her in return. If the stoves weren't burning hot, who knows what they would have done on them.

* * *

"Alright…so…what the hell is this again?" Cadmus asked.

"An electric smelter." Genevieve said, looking for free and open spots in the workshop, "You know those metal slags we keep outside by the large stones, yes?"

He nodded, "Those metal pieces…sucks that we can't use 'em for anything."

"Well, with this…we can." She smiled, "The smelter will melt the slag down into steel which we can use. In other words, it's another way to obtain steel."

"Really?" He asked, "Nice." He said, "I guess I'll get to work on it."

"Be careful Cadmus…it consumes a lot of power."

He nodded, swearing under his breath as Genevieve left. Five wind turbines and four batteries might not hold this one. In fact, the bigger the base got, the more the setup looked like a complete joke. He'd have to add on.

He first went outside by the wind turbines, making sure they were all clear of obstruction. Then he started laying down steel to make three solar generators. Sure, relying on the sun was chancy as all heck, but so was relying on wind. He built them all rather quickly, lamenting on how much steel was needed for each one. Once he set the gears up in the right places, the generators were active, Cadmus then went to work on hooking it up to the grid.

He headed back to the workshop, ready to build the smelter itself now. "Damn thing better be worth it…put a lot of steel into all this…it better pay for itself…" He built it right next to the blue and gray machining table. The smelter was orange, with a large gray vent, which emitted a lot of heat. It was powered, so Cadmus assumed he had done a good job. He left the workshop, looking for another project to work on.

He was pleased with the fact that Genevieve was in a much better mood, but he supposed anyone would be without an annoying illness and a pounding headache. She seemed much happier about her studies now. Honestly, it was good for her. She could use a break.

On the flipside, Cadmus despised their new addition. He was whiny, bossy, and a coward. Sure, Addy was pacifistic as well, but Cadmus chalked that up to the fact that she was a Glitterworld royal and probably never lifted up a weapon in her entire life. Paramedic he felt either whined about the grime of the weapons, or didn't have the stomach to face a _real_ fight. It was just as well either way, they had no weapons to give Paramedic even if he _wanted_ a chance to defend himself.

Speak of the devil, Paramedic himself was heading through the halls, with a gaggle of most of the other members of the faction, "Come, why don't we take a little break and celebrate? There's a surprisingly well-designed room up ahead!"

"Hey." Cadmus frowned, "I was gonna save that for something special."

Paramedic rolled his eyes, "If we wait too long, we'll never use it." He said, strolling off and ignoring him. Cadmus's frown increased as he followed the rabble. Like it or not, Paramedic seemed to be intent on throwing himself as well as the others a party.

It was a good thing there were multiple tables all around the room, because it was quite packed, for such a spacious room. But Cadmus couldn't enjoy himself. His glare towards Paramedic was only getting worse as the minutes went on.

Toni fiddled with her pool cue, "You should at least _try_ to have fun…"

"I can't." He said, "Not with that bastard here…"

"Jeez…lighten up…will you? You're not gonna get along with everyone here…" She said, "Besides…what is he doing that's _so_ bad anyway?" She looked in Cadmus's direction.

Paramedic and Phoebe were playing chess together. But they were hardly focusing on the game itself, the duo were both learning over their respective sides of the table, making out.

"O-Oh…oh god…" Toni's cheeks went pink.

A vein went to Cadmus's forehead, "Tch."

"Hey guys…playing pool…oh…oh…" Jack blinked a few times, wondering why Cadmus and Toni were just loitering around the pool table, then he found his answer, "That's…that's…damn son…"

"Damn son indeed." Cadmus said, through clenched teeth.

Paramedic raised a glass of berry juice high in the air, like some sort of exalted ruler, "Let's have another toast!" He said.

"What are they even toasting about…?" He muttered under his breath.

"I say…this day is better than anything a Glitterworld might bring!"

Redfields cleared his throat, speaking up, "I'm sorry…but…when y'all say Glitterworld…what does that mean?"

Meowski looked at him, "You mean you've never heard of a Glitterworld?"

"No, ma'am."

Toni looked distant as she recalled it, "Some of them are paved with gold. Even the poorest person there is richer than any of us could hope to be…all the bosses I served from every gang…they did all the crime they did just in _hopes_ of bringing their corruption there…"

"Never a famine, drought, nor hurricane. It's always sunny…it's always peaceful…it's always clean as a whistle." Meowski said, "Mama always said that's where all the divine live…"

The three captains whistled for a while. Seeing that they all came from city planets like those.

Addy too looked nervous, as not only did she live in a Glitterworld, she _ruled_ it.

"I was from a Glitterworld." Paramedic said.

"Yeah, I doubt many people are really surprised by that." Cadmus snapped, "You can't take a single step without bitching…"

Paramedic glared at him, while Phoebe rolled her eyes, " _You're_ from one too, Cadmus."

"Pfft, so what? Least I'm not a snob."

Paramedic gave a dry chuckle, as Phoebe moved around to sit in his lap, "Just because I know what _class_ is? What? You jealous or something? Try reading a book above an elementary school level and maybe you'll have a _chance_ of getting on my level."

He growled, clenching his fists. Jack looked uneasy, like he would have to hold him back, "You got something to say to me?!" He snarled.

"Honestly, this brute act must get rather tiresome. Why don't you go shove off elsewhere? Back to your exhibit."

"Whatever, spaghetti arms…you probably couldn't even fight your way out of a paper bag."

He sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'd much rather have noodle arms than a rotting brain."

"Well—" He was stopped short by a few loud chuckles.

"Yes go on, tell me about your _everlasting_ culture. About how often you put that brain to use. Once a year? Less? Well, go on." Paramedic smiled, "Everybody's waiting…"

He felt himself break into a sweat, then he looked around, seeing everyone stare at him, he stormed out of the room, wondering how many of them were laughing at him.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who left the party, Addy was sitting outside, looking up at the stars. She was doing what she could to pet both dogs at each side at once. Pinky and Cassidy turned towards Cadmus once they saw him, panting happily.

Cadmus took a shaky sigh and sat next to her, "How come you left?"

"The topic about Glitterworlds." Addy said, "Since I was in charge of one…I really didn't want people to put two and two together and get jealous. That, and I needed some fresh air."

"Ha…ha, ha…jealous…what a funny little word."

Her chocolate eyes looked quizzical, "You alright?"

"No. I don't think there's been a time on this planet where I've felt worse than this…"

She blinked, still a bit confused with him.

Luckily, he continued, "What the hell does she see in him? In that…that poser…"

"Were you and Phoebe…?"

He sighed, "Uh…it's a long story." He said, getting interrupted when Cassidy more or less forced herself into his lap. He pet her head, the back of her ears, and her back, continuing, "See, Genevieve, Phoebe, and I crashed here, right? Well…the first day we crashed…Phoebe and I…well…we had sex…great sex…I mean…I thought we were going to use each other to survive." He said, "First year here…it was great. When I was down in the dumps, she'd cheer me up, and vice versa…least…least I _thought_ vice versa…"

Addy nodded attentively, Pinky by her side, watching him as well. As though she too were absorbing the story, "So I'm guessing something went wrong." Addy said.

"It did." He said, "I…I didn't notice what she wanted…I didn't think she'd get so mad. But…part of me doesn't even believe it's that." His shoulders sunk, "We got married in the wintertime, last year, Decembary. We divorced like ten days later…"

"And now you're jealous of her and Paramedic."

He thought about that one for a while, "Why should I be? I don't think Phoebe even liked me for me anyway. It was all sex to her, not love…"

"So it was that way, huh?"

"I believe it, yeah. Pfft, I'll be shocked if she lasts more than a year with Paramedic…"

She smiled, "You could warn him."

"Pfft…way too much pride…he'd never believe me…"

"Fair enough."

"But…these feelings though…" He squeezed Cassidy, "These damn feelings. Even if she did use me for sex…even if that's all it was to her…it was different for me. I…uh…I don't know…I thought we were going somewhere…I thought we'd still be married when we left the rim world…but…now I just…I just feel so…betrayed…"

"I can't blame you."

"If it was _actually_ over what little fights we had, then I'd be willing to fix them…but…I don't think it's that. I don't believe it. I don't think she's after a wholesome, loving relationship…"

"Age can humble out a lot of those attitudes, trust me."

He looked at her for a moment, "What about you?" He asked, "You ruled over a Glitterworld…you had to have had a king or something, right? Someone to rule with you? A partnership? Do you have any advice?"

She shook her head, "No…it was…it was just me…besides…I'd rather another queen, than a king…I had enough problems. I didn't want to throw a relationship in there too…"

"Still…" He looked up at the stars with her, "Must have been rough…running an _entire_ planet…that sounds impossible…"

"It was worse for me…I was in a cryptosleep casket for an entire millennium…"

His eyes shrunk, "You're shitting me…"

She shook her head, "When I woke up…everything around me was different…no one should be comatose for that long…"

"Huh…so…having a childhood…adolescence…those things weren't really an option, were they?"

"Not really." She said, "For a while, I was disadvantaged, I had to learn about everything that's changed. And of course, in a-thousand years, that's typically a lot." She said, "I was a social disaster for a while…I couldn't keep up with everything that had changed around me. It was a burdensome weight to carry when maintaining a planet."

"…well…if it's any consolation…you're doing a great job here…"

She laughed for a while, "Well thank you…I'm glad to have gotten your seal of approval!"

He shrugged, "I don't know…maybe a Glitterworld's the last thing you wanna see…but…anything's better than here."

"I'm very excited to see if I can recruit any pirates." She said, "Or talk with traders. I was the face of an entire planet for almost forty years, I think I know my way around presentation."

"Yup, no questions asked about that. Job's all yours."

She looked back towards the rec room, "Well…looks like the party's finally finishing up…I should probably get going."

"Yeah, I need to get to bed." He said, "Later, Addy." He said. She walked away, with Pinky by her side. Cadmus himself tried to get up, until he realized that Cassidy had fallen asleep in his lap. So instead he slept right in that spot, sitting up.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeah, I'm surprised at how much romance plays into this game. I was surprised enough when Cadmus and Phoebe got together during the tutorial, but the drama keeps on coming. Oh well, makes for good writing, I guess.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** And now we have chapter seventeen! This one's a lighter, sillier chapter, I hope you all enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

The last harvest had made its arrival, as autumn was entering its last few days once more. The freezer was beyond filled, and it was all because of an agreement Cadmus and Jack had. The two of them built a trio of new warehouses, Cadmus hoping desperately that these would be the last ones they'd have to make. They then pondered on what to do next.

" _So…uh…what now? There's nothing left to build…" Jack said._

" _I know…" Cadmus said, "We have a spare bedroom…freezer can kinda wait until next year…and Genevieve hasn't really researched anything new…so I guess we should focus on something else…"_

" _But what should I do?"_

" _Well, you're a good shot, right?"_

" _I sure hope I am…I was a soldier, remember?"_

" _Then just go hunting. Make sure we have an even amount of meat to compete with our fruits and vegetables. We should be golden then. Pretty sure I saw a big heard of deer that way. You can start there."_

" _Got it."_

Ever since that, their carnivorous members, (like Cadmus), couldn't be any more pleased. They wouldn't have to worry about running out of venison anytime soon. In addition, Jack also found a lot of wild turkeys, hunting them down as well. And a few days ago Jack hunted down dozens of wild boars with his shotgun as well, reacquainting Cadmus with the taste of pork again.

Cadmus on the other hand was also free from construction, at least for the time being. And surprisingly, he was a little tired of mining for the time being, so he wanted to take a break on that. They weren't exactly hurting on steel yet, (And they probably wouldn't be for a while). So what was Cadmus doing for work instead?

He was helping Meowski with stonecutting.

Cadmus was, he admitted, slightly more versatile than Jack. He was an average crafter, but even a lousy one could handle stonecutting. So Cadmus could construct and mine like an expert, and craft and cook reasonably well too. He had hoped that maybe they could build up enough stone bricks so that the next time there was a big project, they'd all be prepared.

The pregnant muffalo brought hope to the kingdom. Having muffalo calves to either sell off to traders or get milk and wool from sounded convenient. Not to mention the fact that a brand new family of muffalo was starting within their colony. Hopefully the muffalo would breed for years to come.

He had noticed a strange commotion over by the horseshoes pin, seeing nearly every other member gathered around it. "Ah, Cadmus…just the guy I wanted to see." Jack said.

He blinked and pointed at himself, "Me? What? Did you run out of things to hunt…?"

Jack chuckled, "Don't you think there's something that needs to be settled?"

"Uh…"

He crossed his arms, "I'm setting up a horseshoes tournament!" He announced, "The winner gets the best prize of all! Glory!"

"Oh dear god…" He sighed, holding his arms up, "Sheesh, you guys are hopeless…I build you all a freaking _rec room_ …and you _still_ want to play horseshoes?"

"C'mon city slicker, whatcha 'fraid of?" Meowski asked.

"You know I suck at this game."

"Still, I think it'll be fun." Redfields said.

"Quite interesting, at least." Phoebe said.

"They even dragged me into it." Addy said.

"I'm participating, so I don't want to hear any excuses from you." Toni said.

"Wait a minute." Cadmus said, "This isn't gonna work. There are nine of us…so…we'll have to do round robin or something…a conventional tourney tree wouldn't make sense…"

"Genevieve's not participating." Toni said, crossing her arms, "Jeez…did you _really_ think she would leave her room to do something like this?"

"Eh, I guess not."

"And look." Jack pointed, "We got the best spectator a guy could ask for."

"Hmm?" He followed Jack's gaze, seeing a Thrumbo not too far away. It looked intrigued by the commotion, "Holy shit…" He said, "It…it's a good thing…that they're peaceful…"

"Alright…I got the tournament set up, right here!" Jack held out a piece of paper. "Look, first round…is Phoebe versus Paramedic. Then…it's Redfields versus Addy. After that it's me versus Meowski. And the last round is Cadmus versus Toni."

The eight of them all looked around at one another, then at the horseshoes pin, the challenge was on.

"First person to make it to ten points wins." Jack said, "Alright, let's get started."

Phoebe and Paramedic were the first pair up in the tournament. Both of them looked poised, ready for action. "Before we start, I just want to congratulate everyone for making it to the quarter-finals." Cadmus said.

Everyone laughed, "Gotta remind yourself how far you've gotten, right?" Toni shook her head.

The match was over fairly quickly. The skill level between Phoebe and Paramedic was just that apparent. Either that, or Paramedic was throwing his game just to make Phoebe win.

"Excellent job, my love." Paramedic kissed her on the lips.

"And the winner…to no one's surprise…is Phoebe!" Jack said, scribbling down on his tourney tree.

Cadmus was amongst the people not surprised. Phoebe was likely going to win the entire tournament, or she was a favorite to win at the very least. Her entrance to the semifinals could be predicted a mile away.

"Alright, next round, Redfields versus Addy!" Jack said.

"Ah…so they've pitted the two night owls against each other, hmm?" Addy asked, picking up a shoe.

Redfields smiled, standing next to her, "Don't hold back now, ya hear? Give it all you've got."

The second round didn't really have much of a difference to the first round. Addy was lucky to score a point, while Redfields easily scored the ten he needed to go on. "The winner is Redfields!" Jack said.

Redfields nodded, "Good game." He shook Addy's hand.

"Alright…next is…huh…me versus Meowski…"

"Alright city slicker, let's go." Meowski brushed past him.

"Uh…I didn't really come from a city…" Jack said quietly.

Unlike the other two rounds, Jack and Meowski's game was both rough, and close. They were neck and neck the entire time. At the moment, Jack had seven points, while Meowski had five.

"I wouldn't count your chickies yet there, son." Meowski said, throwing another shoe ahead. "Ha, that's a point for me."

Jack nodded, "So now you have six." He said, throwing one himself, "Damn. I missed."

The other six were all leaning forward with anticipation, seeing who would win, "Come on Jack…you can't get kicked out of your tournament so easily! Show some pride!" Cadmus yelled.

"I know! I know!"

"Ha, now it's all tied up!" Meowski cheered, "Hope you're ready to eat my dust, cause I'm gonna pass ya…"

"Not if I score a ringer."

"Like hell you'll score a ringer…"

Jack took a deep breath, throwing the horseshoe with all his might. When it clattered around the stake, he cheered, "Ha! Eat that, Meowski!"

"Well, I'll be damned. A ringy-ding-dinger." Meowski chuckled, "Looks like you win."

"Damn right I do! I knew I wouldn't be thrown out of my own tournament so easily!" He said "Now, let's get on with the next round!"

The last round of the quarter finals seemed to be the longest and dreariest. One horseshoe would miss its target by a horrendously long shot, then another, and then the pair would miss terribly.

"Golly…I'm gonna take a damn nap…" Meowski said.

"Not as impressive as you are, my darling." Paramedic smiled at Phoebe.

"I don't get it…" Redfields said, "Is…is this a joke?"

"Will you guys shut up?" Cadmus snapped, "It's not like we're _trying_ to miss…"

"Yeah…it's just…really far away…" Toni said.

"Heh…heh, heh…" Jack said, the sun would set at this rate, "Alright…for…for this match only…whoever scores _one_ point…wins. Hear that everybody? One point is all you need."

"One point?" Cadmus and Toni exchanged a glance, "Good. That's all I'll need to smoke you." The former said.

"Oh, if you think I'm gonna lose to you, then you're crazy!" Toni said. She threw her horseshoe out, but it missed by a huge margin.

"Ha." Cadmus said, throwing his own, but he missed too.

"Ha, now it's my turn again." Toni threw another, but it missed.

"Oh, for the love of god, would _one_ of you two idiots score a point so we can move on with our lives?!" Paramedic growled.

"Screw off." Cadmus said. He relaxed himself as best he could, throwing the next horseshoe, it clanged against the stake, "Ha!" He cheered, "I win!"

"Aw…damn it…" Toni said, barely heard under Jack's announcing.

"Alright, looks like we got a winner…finally…" Jack said, "Cadmus will be moving on to the semifinals. That means the four who are left are…Phoebe, Redfields, me, and Cadmus."

Everyone began to cheer for the different semi-finalists, "Yeah, you show 'em Phoebe! Give 'em girl power!" Toni shouted.

"Pfft, you're rooting for the favorite?" Cadmus asked, "You should really be rooting for the underdog, you know."

"You beat me. I hope you lose."

"Tch."

"Alright now…let's get onto the first round, Phoebe versus Redfields!"

Their match was actually quite close, they were tied at five points were a while, but they both needed to double their scores, if they wanted to win.

Phoebe tossed her shoe with a cool expression on her face, it clanked on the stake, encircling it.

"Damn…" Redfields said, as a few people cheered, "You got a nice shot…I see why you have the bolt-action now…" He smiled.

Phoebe smiled back, "That's eight points for me…it's your move…"

Redfields nodded, throwing his shot. Not quite a three-pointer, but it was still close enough to net him a point. So the score was eight to six.

Phoebe threw another, and it was another ringer, netting her eleven points. Although, Phoebe winning her matches with eleven or twelve points wasn't exactly unheard of.

"Alright! The winner of this semifinal round is Phoebe!" Jack cheered.

"Good game." Redfields shook her hand.

"Now it's time for the last round of the semifinals." Jack said, "Me versus Cadmus."

"Jeez…" Cadmus walked to his side, "I might as well give up now."

"Aw…come on now." Jack smiled, "At least _try_ to give me a good game."

"Alright, I'll do what I can…no promises though…" He said.

Sure enough, Cadmus gave him far from a good game. The final score was ten to two.

"Alright! I'm going to the finals!" Jack jumped up and down.

"Good job, buddy." Cadmus said.

"Okay, now it's time for the final round…me versus Phoebe!" Jack said, standing opposite the horseshoes pin with Phoebe. "This is it folks, the moment you've all been waiting for!"

It seemed an equal amount of members wanted Jack and Phoebe to win, the cheering was relatively well-split. Even Lady, Pinky, Cassidy, and the two muffalo were gathered around the audience, trying to get a grasp at what all the commotion was about.

"Go Phoebe!" Toni said.

"Kick it outta the park, Jack!" Cadmus said.

"Alright…" Jack said, as he and Phoebe picked up a horseshoe, "Ladies first." He nodded towards her.

"Such a gentlemen." Phoebe said, throwing her shot. It was an immediate ringer.

Jack's eyes shrunk down. In terms of Cadmus and Meowski, this would definitely be more of a Meowski round. He stuck his tongue out partially, giving his own shot. It too, was a ringer.

"Damn." Cadmus said, "This is really tight. Is it gonna be this close the whole time?"

"Probably…" Toni said.

Phoebe threw another shot, another ringer, leading her to six points.

"Whoa…" Jack said, "How do you do that? How do you get ringers so easily?"

"Being a sniper most of my life certainly helps."

Jack narrowed his eyes in thought, aiming his next horseshoe carefully. He threw it, but it was only able to score a point. It was better than nothing, but he didn't exactly have the elbow room to miss with Phoebe, "Crap…"

"Oh no…" Cadmus said, "Now it's six to four…" He said, then another ringer clanged, "Oh…make that…nine to four…shit…"

"Did any of you _really_ think that Phoebe was going to lose this?"

Jack threw another shoe, making a single point, bringing his score up to five.

"Any last words?" Phoebe grinned.

"Don't count me out just yet." Jack said.

Phoebe threw her shoe, but then her eyes widened, she missed.

"Holy crap…she missed!" Cadmus said, "She missed, she missed! Come on, win it, Jack!"

"Okay, okay." Jack threw another shoe. He had six points now.

Phoebe frowned, flustered, as she threw another, but it missed the pin. "What?" She asked, over the hushed gasps.

Jack smiled as he threw another. He was at seven points now.

She missed again. Eight.

Again. Nine.

At this point everyone was practically at the edge of their seats (or already standing), "Come on, Jack! It's a tie, you got her on the ropes now!" Cadmus said.

"No, Phoebe, don't lose!" Toni shouted, over the cheers and roaring comments.

Phoebe frowned and threw another one. When it missed, she fell to her knees, "What…what am I doing…?" She wilted.

"It's alright, my love." Paramedic came to her side, "It's simply a game…that's all."

"Jack, if you make this shot, then you win!" Cadmus grinned.

Jack held the horseshoe towards his chest, "I got this…" He reared back, taking a long, over-dramatic throw, as if trying to give a slow motion shot that all the sports cameras usually did. "Ha!" He finally threw it. Unfortunately, it flopped in the grass, missing its intended target. Jack's eyes bulged, "No!"

Phoebe smiled and rose tall, like a reactivated automaton. She threw her horseshoe, it was a ringer.

Cheers of delight and upset were sounded, as Jack shook his head. "Well…looks like the winner of the tournament…the undisputed horseshoes champion…is Phoebe!" He shook her hand, "Good game."

Phoebe smiled, "I'll enjoy the prize as best as I can."

* * *

Sadly, their joy with the tournament came to an abrupt end. As they were quickly under attack.

"You guys hear that shriek?" Redfields asked.

Cadmus nodded, "Pirates." He said, "But it shouldn't be any trouble." He said, he looked at Addy and Paramedic, "You two go wait inside. You'll be able to patch up any of us who get injured. Also, make sure the animals are all in a safe place. We don't want them in the middle of this."

Addy and Paramedic nodded, heading for the inside of the base. The rest of them advanced forward. Even with the two pacifists and Genevieve back in the base, they were still six members strong. And it sort of worked out that their two pacifists were also medics. They could immediately sweep in and heal anyone. At this point, Cadmus just felt sorry for the poor sap who wanted to challenge their kingdom.

Phoebe after a while of trekking, hid behind one of the trees. She would, as before, snipe them when they least expected it. This left five of them armed to the teeth and ready to take on their opponents.

Three tribespeople opposed them, all of them quite bundled up, as it was late fall. "Crap…" Cadmus said, "It's three this time." He said, "This must be those people from that Confederation of Guaban you guys were talking about." He said, "Spread out!"

It seemed to be two males and a female. The only thing giving away that there was one girl was the scorpion braid going down to her back. The trio were all armed with bows, and they started firing.

"Look out!" Cadmus said. He charged towards the nearest bowman, gashing him with his axe. The bowman stumbled back, snarling as he reloaded his arrow and shot it at Cadmus.

Cadmus grimaced as the arrow stuck right through him. There was a mild amount of blood on his black top, he reared his axe back again, but this time he missed.

A round or two of shotgun blasts came to Cadmus's aid. Jack ran in to his defense, blowing the tribal man full of holes.

Meanwhile, Meowski reared her club back, smacking the tribeswoman in the arm, trying to slam the bow out of her hands. She flinched and felt her arm, but she aimed her bow, striking Meowski with it. When Meowski flinched and doubled over in pain, she was struck again, and again.

The last man aimed his bow at Redfields. But since Redfields had a gun, he shot him much quicker than he could ever shoot him. The bowman hissed as Redfields pierced him with a bullet in his arm. Redfields took advantage of the stun, shooting him again.

Toni dashed in as well, slicing the bowman to ribbons while Redfields was given a chance to reload.

The bowman coughed up blood, falling back. He loaded his bow again, aiming it at Toni while her back was turned.

"Look out, Toni!" Redfields yelled, shooting the assailant in the foot.

The bowman hissed once again, falling to one knee, practically incapacitated at this point.

Jack and Cadmus were pretty sure that their bowman was dead, that is, until he got up with a vengeance, shooting Cadmus with another arrow.

Cadmus flinched, but he wasn't out yet. His eyes darted around a bit, he wanted to check in on the other fights. He gulped when he saw Meowski and the tribeswoman. Meowski was soaked in blood, on the ground, not moving. The tribeswoman was about to shoot a final arrow into her heart while she was downed, "Shit, shit, Jack…go help Meowski! Go help Meowski!"

"But what about you?" Jack asked.

"I got this loser, go help Meowski!" He ordered. Jack ran off, leaving Cadmus to fend for himself. Sure enough, a minute or two after Jack left, Cadmus decapitated the bowman.

The tribeswoman gave a bloodthirsty, sadistic grin, as she would now taste murder, but she was suddenly knocked back by a shotgun blast or two.

"You stay the hell away from Meowski, got it?" Jack fired at her, again and again. She soon lay on the ground, in a pool of her own blood.

All three of the tribespeople were defeated. One of them killed, and the remaining two were brought in as prisoners. Genevieve, Paramedic, Addy, and Toni were able to patch everyone up, and the kingdom began to slowly heal and regroup.

However, the winds were changing. The temperature dropping. A cold snap was coming.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ooh, spooky ending for this chapter. Also, I forgot that I ended the light and silly horseshoes tournament with a freaking raid, lol. I hope you all enjoyed!


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Hello everyone, the dreaded cold snap looms over the colony! Will they make it through without any casualties? Let's hope so!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

None of them had ever experienced a cold snap before, at least not in this region. Maybe, they hoped, it would be like walking into one of the freezers.

That was not the case. At all.

Winds brought the already terrible temperature down even further, making going outside a chore for some while downright _impossible_ for others. The temperature stayed at a stubborn zero degree Fahrenheit, if they were lucky, it would crawl up a few degrees. But it would almost always go down rather than up.

Cadmus made out okay, as he wore a duster and a considerable amount of layers. Thus, the cold only moderately bothered him. Phoebe and Paramedic were outfitted with jackets, so they were most likely in the clear too. Everyone else, however, they only went outside when they _absolutely_ had to.

While he spent most of his time stonecutting, Jack was able to build a second freezer, though they hardly had a need for it now, as winter drained their food supply, rather than the reverse. Also, with the cold snap, hardly any animals were present outside, so hunting was out.

He figured he may as well give the electric smelter a try, taking a break from stonecutting, while Meowski was still driven towards getting at least a couple hundred bricks out. "Wanna have a race, city slicker?" She smirked.

Cadmus shook his head, carefully placing the steel slag chunk by the mouth of the smelter, "If we race, we'll end up with stone messes, not bricks."

"Suit yourself."

He had quite a bit of slag to melt, given that he had the fragments of Redfields and Paramedic's escape pods to content with. There were also the escape pods that _they_ landed from, so long ago.

Once he was finished, he proudly took the steel into one of the storerooms. In addition to completing a second freezer, Cadmus and Jack had five stockrooms dotted around the base. He figured that five would finally be enough, given that they were all moderately large. Since he had a bit of time on his hands, he decided to go out and mine for a bit.

Meowski followed him out to the exit of the base, "Hoo-wee…" She flinched as a cold breeze blew in, "Don't you dare keep that door open."

"I won't." Cadmus said, bundling his trench coat up the best he could, "What about the muffalo and stuff? They okay in this weather?"

"They should be fine…they's engineered to take temperatures well below freezing. This ain't nothin' for them."

He nodded, holding a hand out as a handful of snowflakes landed in it, "Damn it…look how much snow is out here already…" He fumed, "Jeez…why is it so punctual here? Two years now…on the first day of Decembary, on the dot, it snows a crap-ton…do we really need this?"

Meowski laughed, "Doesn't bother me, none. I always liked the snow, since I was a little girl."

"That makes one of us…" He muttered, heading out towards one of the more untouched mountains. He pretty much regretted going out this far at this point.

Maybe if he kept mining hard enough, it would work up the blood flow and keep him a bit warmer. He honestly just wanted to get past this boring bedrock so he could actually find some steel, or maybe something even better.

He heard a pair of stray barks. They were getting closer and closer. He looked back to see Pinky and Cassidy, both smiling and panting. They both had little harnesses on their back, outfitted with baskets, to aid them with carrying things to and from the base.

Cadmus chuckled, "You guys gonna help me bring what I find back to base, huh? Huh?" He bent down and hugged one of them, giving the other a rough pet on the head.

Mining continued as Pinky and Cassidy watched with glee like spectators. Like most of the animals they had, the cold didn't really seem to be bothering them. Cadmus felt like he should have called it quits by now. Until he struck something.

Silver.

His eyes widened. This patch of compacted silver seemed to go back quite a ways. He grinned, hammering at it more and more. The huskies barked energetically, picking up on Cadmus's infectious enthusiasm. They scooped up all the silver coins they could find, putting it in their baskets to be taken back to the base.

"Alright! This is great!" Cadmus said, once the path of silver dried up, he turned to Pinky and Cassidy, "Alright girls. Go put that stuff inside and go warm up, okay? Eat something good." He pat their heads. Pinky and Cassidy barked and ran off. "Hmm…" He told himself, "If Pinky and Cassidy are out here…then…" He saw a figure in the distance, "Addy's probably close behind."

It was three figures, actually, Jack and Toni had accompanied the former Glitterworld noble. The latter of which was shivering so hard, it looked like she was dancing.

"Jeez…what the heck are you guys doing out here?" Cadmus frowned, "It ain't a good idea for people other than me to come out here…"

"Is it wrong for someone to look after her huskies?" Addy smiled.

"I wanted to come too." Jack said.

"And I did too." Toni scowled, "To yell at you."

"What else is new?" Cadmus muttered.

"This wouldn't even be happening if we made clothes from the beginning!"

"How are the prisoners?" Cadmus looked at Addy.

"Don't ignore me!"

"They're alright." Addy sighed, as the four of them took a walk, "The…boundaries between us and them is quite high. It's going to be harder to convince them to join our movement than say…someone from the Animal Moles."

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded, "Their accents are incredibly thick."

"Well, what are their names? What are they like?"

"One of them is Légua. Légua Bee. She seems like a nice woman. And she seems rather young and fit too. She only has one scar on her right arm…I'm surprised the club attack from Meowski didn't open it up too much."

"That explains why she flinched so much…" He said, "What about the guy?"

"Rego. Rego Komodo…that's all I have."

"All you have?"

Another nod, this one perplexed, "I've only heard Légua's voice so far. Even getting Rego to _attempt_ to communicate with me is only done so through Légua. Rego seems a bit younger, or maybe he's mute."

"Damn…" He said, "At first I thought getting two prisoners was great…but…not if they're just…prisoners forever, eating up all of our food…"

She smiled and closed her eyes, "Even if I did recruit them both, we don't have enough bedrooms for either of them."

"…shit…completely forgot…"

"It's so cold!" Toni hugged herself, "So cold! So cold!" She growled, her teeth chattering, "This is all your fault, Cadmus! If I die of hypothermia…I'm gonna haunt you! Forever!"

"Then go back inside." Cadmus said.

"That's not the point!" She growled, "Warm clothes would have solved all of this! What if next winter's worse?"

"I do admit, I feel a little chilly too…" Jack said.

"Come on…not you too Jack…you got a shirt made of muffalo wool." Cadmus said.

"Even still…clothes don't last forever, Cadmus. Especially the way we're roughing it. We ought to give someone a job just to make clothes."

He hated to admit it, but Jack and Toni may have been right. The three captains were lucky enough to have most of their clothes made of hyperweave, or synthread. Paramedic was in the same boat too, being from a Glitterworld. Other than that, everyone around him would need clothes on a regular basis, given the amount of wear and tear the clothing faced.

"I'll do it." Toni raised a hand, "I'll make clothes, I mean…I don't have anything to do anyway…"

"Nah, I want you on stonecutting with Meowski instead."

"Are you freaking serious?"

"I am." He said, "What if we need more bedrooms? Let me worry about clothes later."

Toni moved closer to him and slugged him in the shoulder. Given how a well-built man like Cadmus flinched and wilted, it most likely hurt a lot. She then stomped off in a huff.

"Whatever…" He brushed his shoulder off, "I'm in way too good a mood to be mad over something like that."

"Are you?" Addy smiled.

He grinned, "I found a vein of silver! All day just now, I've been mining free money!" He laughed, "That'll put us in a good place next time traders come along."

"Cool, free money." Jack nodded.

He nodded, then he froze. Seeing something _not_ white on the ground stuck out like a sore thumb, "What's that?" He ran towards it.

"What's what?" Toni rejoined the group.

Cadmus gave her a skeptical eye, "I thought you were done with being around me."

"Well…I just wanted to see what it is…stupid…"

Cadmus dug through the snow, ignoring how cold his bare hands felt. He picked up the body of a tortoise, "Oh no…"

"It's a turtle…" Toni said.

"Tortoise." Addy corrected quietly.

"Whatever."

"Hey…tortoise…wake up!" Cadmus shook him, but his body was limp, "Wake up! Wake up! Come on, you gotta get up!"

"Cadmus…" Jack started.

"It's dead." Addy said quietly.

Cadmus gently put the tortoise back down, the fact that he mined money was completely erased. Why is the death of a wild animal affecting him so much? "It can't be…" He said, in a futile tone.

"I mean…duh…hypothermia." Toni crossed her arms, "I feel like _freezing_ temperature is pushing it for most turtles."

"Tortoises."

"Whatever!"

"What…what should we do with it?" Jack asked.

Toni shrugged, "I mean…it would probably taste good."

"No." Cadmus shook his head, "I'm gonna bury him."

"Seriously?" She raised a brow, "Freaking Jesus…this guy's treating a turtle's remains with more respect than any of the raiders."

"Tortoise." Jack said.

"Ugh…"

"I mean…this tortoise wasn't trying to kill us." Cadmus said, "So…I think he deserves a proper burial. The raiders on the other hand who Genevieve made me bury, they could have rotted, I wouldn't have minded."

Addy looked ahead, "It was probably on its way out of here…judging by how close it is to the outskirts of our base. It probably wanted to move to a better, warmer area."

"Well…he's in a better place now, at least."

* * *

This would be their second manhunter pack. And the first one wasn't really a big deal, since it was a trio of rats.

However, this animal could hardly be _seen_.

"So…what's after us now?" Cadmus asked. Everyone was cooped up inside the base for the time being.

"Looks like…Arctic foxes…" Genevieve said, "Though luckily they can't come inside."

"Still…we need to get rid of them." He said, "I'm not gonna let a bunch of dumb foxes make a fool outta me."

"We don't even _need_ to go outside!" Toni snapped, "It's cold enough as it is. Let's just wait for them to leave."

"But since they're Arctic foxes…they're probably used to this kind of temperature." Jack said.

"There's no telling how long they'll linger around." Cadmus said, "Besides, think of all the free meat we'll get."

Toni clenched her hands into fists, "We have plenty of food!"

"Alright…Genevieve, Addy, Paramedic, you guys stay inside." He said, "The rest of us will go out there and go fox hunting."

The six of them stood outside, seeing the pack of foxes head closer and closer towards them, "How…how many is that?" Cadmus counted, "One…two…three…"

"Ten." Phoebe said, cocked her bolt-action rifle with a bored look on her face.

Toni shivered, it was hard to tell if it was out of nervousness or out of chilliness. "Sort of…an upgrade…from three rats."

"Hoo-wee…this'll be interesting." Meowski laughed.

Jack held his shotgun firmly, narrowing his eyes at the six to ten fight.

"I'll do my best, guys." Redfields said, "Let me know if you need help."

A fox lunged at Cadmus, going to bite him in the chest. However, the armor and absurd amount of layers made the attack fail completely. Cadmus knocked it back with his axe, another blow like that and the fox would be dead.

Phoebe wasn't doing as good. She didn't have time to aim or find a place to hide, she was being clawed and bitten by the foxes. It was strange, she didn't think _foxes_ would be the opponent to give her the biggest challenge. Jack was having a good run, given how good his shotgun bursts were in close range.

The other two melee practitioners, Toni and Meowski, were doing well with their respective targets. But the fact that it was ten against six was starting to take it's toll. Some of them were getting attacked from multiple sides, getting fenced in.

Cadmus finally killed one of the foxes, but his success would mean nothing if all his allies were incapacitated. His eyes glided over towards Redfields. He was knocking the foxes to the ground with a shot or two from his revolver. Cadmus was impressed by the man's handiwork. He was impressed even more so when the foxes couldn't seem to dent him.

Was he wearing armor too?

"Guys!" Cadmus yelled, "Lead the foxes to Redfields and me. We can take multiple foxes at once!"

The others nodded, some of them being covered in a fair amount of blood and bite or scratch marks. Cadmus and Redfields did what they could to even up the numbers a bit, while the other four played cleanup. After the foxes were all killed, they returned to the base, those who were injured were patched up.

* * *

The cost in herbal medicine was higher than he expected, but for all the fox meat and fox skin, it would be well worth it.

At the moment, he was having dinner. In the wooden dining room, rather than the dining hall, which could sometimes be as noisy as a cafeteria. (It might as well be one at this point). He had a typical meal laid out in front of him, meat, some vegetables, (rice today), and a glass of berry juice. He took a swig of his juice as he noticed a figure coming in, "Jeez…I love Alphabeaver meat." Cadmus said, "You'd think it'd like…taste weird or something…but…it's pretty damn good…"

He went dead silent when he noticed that it was Paramedic who entered the room. He looked disgusted, whether it was at Cadmus in general, or the fact that he was enjoying himself, it was yet to be determined. "Please refrain from making such comments. I doubt there's anyone in the room who cares."

He narrowed his eyes. Granted, he probably wasn't going to chat much with this one anyway.

Paramedic chuckled, for a long while, as a pause passed, "Oh, how I love being with Phoebe."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes…she's…wonderful…isn't she? With her silky hair…sinister…alluring red eyes. Her porcelain, smooth skin. Her generous hips and chest…her…inventiveness…" He snickered.

"Uh-huh…she's got it all…"

"Yes, even her personality is wonderful." He said, "Quiet, soothing, intelligent. Takes someone with real class to fully understand her…"

"Yup…that it does."

"Man, you'd have to be a _complete idiot_ to take advantage of being with her."

He frowned, "So you knew that we were together."

"Pfft, of course I do. Everyone in this blasted base knows that."

"So what? It's a thing that happened here. There's no use trying to deny or be ashamed of it."

"I'm just amazed at how you two got together in the first place."

"The same thing's gonna happen to you, you know. I don't know why you're wasting your time trying to make me feel bad." He said, "She's gonna get tired of you and move onto whoever the newest member of the faction is. It's a fact. You have an expiration date."

"Oh, you poor fool." He taunted, smiling, "What? You think she's going to do the same with me? I doubt it. We've talked…had long talks. About our plans for when we get off this stupid rock. For our future."

"Yeah, I bet she's real excited for that."

"You should stop pretending like you know more than you do. It's rather sad."

"I don't think you're part of her long-term goals…but…what do I know? I never really paid attention to her long term plans."

"That explains why your relationship was a complete train wreck."

He gave a dry smile, "Look…if she couldn't last with an idiot like me, then she'd _never_ settle down with a sleaze ball like you. Count the days of good sex. You'll need 'em."

He scoffed, "Unlike you, I think about more than just sex."

"I do too. That's the problem. I think that's all that she's in it for."

He gasped, "How _dare_ you. I'm going to tell her what you just said, then you'll see."

"Go ahead." He shrugged, "It probably won't change anything."

"Oh, I think it will." He argued, "In fact, this _whole place_ needs a bit of changing. It clearly has been suffering under your commands."

"Like hell. I've been doing a great job."

"Oh yes, with everyone freezing to death and all. Wonderful."

"Look, I'm the only one who needs to go outside. Every other room practically has a heater, go huddle by that if you're nippy."

"I think it's beyond idiotic for you to have two of the biggest geniuses of this base reduced to…simple _cooking_. It's unethical." He said through clenched teeth.

"Are _you_ supposed to be one of the two geniuses?"

Paramedic ignored him, "This place would be better if Phoebe and I took command. Maybe Genevieve too. The rest of you can clearly only handle following, and even then, you can't do that really well either."

"The three captains have all the say." He said, "That's how it's been since we landed, and that's how it'll be."

"Oh, really? Because Phoebe _is_ one of the three original captains, isn't she?" He smirked, "She and I, we don't have to cook. Maybe we'll poison you. Maybe we'll quit altogether. Pose a strike." He chuckled, "I don't have to work for you."

The chair screeched back, "Don't have to work for us, huh?"

Paramedic swallowed hard. One footstep, then another, as Cadmus got closer, "N-No…I'm not s-scared of you…"

"People who don't work." He started, "Don't stay here." He said, "So if you want, I can ship you to someone in the Animal Moles? In one of their outposts? Their bases? Is that what you want? Of course, they would be _heaven_ compared to talking back to me."

He growled, "This isn't over, Vanderbilt." He said, "Phoebe and I will find a way. We'll find our happiness, our salvation, and it won't involve you at all!"

"Enjoy her while her attention isn't diverted yet, pal."

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeah, not too long after Paramedic and Phoebe hooked up, Cadmus and Paramedic kept insulting/slighting each other. It was too precious to waste a scene on. Hope you all enjoyed!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Here's chapter nineteen! The winter drags on at a slow pace, bringing all the cold and drama it entails! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

Despite the fact that it was grueling second year of winter, work was progressing at it's usual pace. If anything, they were faster than ever, with a total of nine members to the faction now, (and two prisoners). Phoebe and Paramedic did a great job cooking and keeping the meal count stable for everyone. Toni was now stonecutting alongside Meowski, essentially granting a large surplus of bricks.

Addy and Meowski would take turns milking the muffalo, though the former was rather preoccupied with trying to recruit either Légua or Rego. Redfields, meanwhile, gave the base a nightly clean. Every night, he diligently cleaned all the dirt, filth, or snow out of the base, leaving it spotless by morning. It was a rather effective system, having a nightly cleaner.

Genevieve of course continued her studies. Her advancements were making things on the rim world slightly more comfortable, one project at a time. Jack and Cadmus meanwhile were playing catchup, in addition to the nine bedrooms for all the members. There was one extra one, and since then, they have built two more empty bedrooms. Two of the bedrooms would be for Légua and Rego if and when they joined. The last, as usual, was a spare.

Now Cadmus was working on a different project. As an expansion from the electric smelter, Genevieve had finally outlined how to make a functional crematorium. Which was great in essence, because none of them had any idea how many more people they'd be killing out here. And Cadmus was sick and tired of making a bunch of graves for them. (Except the tortoise, he will always be remembered). So he was outside right now, headed to go build one. Since, after all, he was one of the few members who could even go outside in the zero degree weather.

Jack had already made the outer walls, roof, and flooring to the room. All that was left to be built was the crematorium itself. It was a strange recipe for Cadmus, not one he was used to. The steel and electrical bits, sure, that made sense. But this was one of the first structures he needed stone bricks for that _wasn't_ a floor or wall. Nevertheless, it was just as simple to build for him as anything else.

Constructing it took a good chunk of the day, but he was pleased when it was finished. A weak heat emitted from the crematorium's mouth. This would make future raids a lot easier to deal with when it came to cleanup. He figured he may as well inform Genevieve that it was completed.

"You!" Paramedic screeched as Cadmus entered, "You! Look at what you've done to me! Look at what you've done!"

He winced as he traveled the halls, Paramedic walking alongside him, "What is it _now_ , Lambrichts?"

"My hand." Paramedic held his hand out, "Look at this! _Someone_ needs to take responsibility for this!"

At first, Cadmus had no idea what he was talking about. Then he spotted a rather large red scar on the back of his hand. It looked quite fresh, "You mean to tell me you got a boo-boo?"

He snarled, "This isn't just a boo-boo…it's serious. I'll have you know that this is a frostbite scar, you fool."

"A frostbite scar…you gotta be kidding me." He frowned.

"I'm not. Thanks to your poor leadership, I'll have this blemish on my hand for the rest of my life."

"What were you even doing outside?"

"I was getting raw food to make into meals." He said through clenched teeth, "Too bad _someone_ made the freezers so far away from the kitchen…hmm?"

"I don't want to hear it. You have hyperweave clothing, just like we do, and a jacket. There are two freezers. At least one of them should have an inside route."

"Yes, but the corpses that need to butchered into meat, they're in the second freezer, on the far side. I wanted to be proactive and process them. We need material for clothing. I'll have to tell your replacement that there's plenty of arctic fox fur for them to make clothes with. Because this will not stand—"

"What? You gonna tell mom on me?"

"You may think this is funny now—"

"I'd go get that patched up, Lambrichts."

He snarled, "Are you _ignoring_ me?"

"The contrary." Cadmus faced him, looming over him, "Your stupidity cost us all dearly. Whoever has the sorry job of bandaging your damn hand, you better apologize to."

"What?" He clenched his fists, " _You_ should be the one apologizing, this is all your fault!"

"I'm pretty sure I made it clear that only _I_ go outside from now on until this damn cold snap is over. The only exceptions are emergencies." He said, giving a little chuckle, "I guess you'll be our example of what happens when people don't listen to the three captains."

"But…but I…" He sputtered, "This could have happened to _anyone_. No one is wearing an appropriate amount of layers for this weather, aside from you and a small fraction of others. You couldn't have planned that this would happen to me. What if happened to someone else? You just got lucky in that it was me…but we can't just sit here and pretend that you—"

Cadmus grabbed Paramedic's hand, placing his thumb on the wound, "You get in my way again, and I'll make sure it's more than just a little scuff on the back of your hand, got it?"

"Ah! Get your filthy paws off of me!" He thrashed.

"Apologize."

"You're absolutely insane!" He screamed, " _I'm_ the one who's injured here!"

"Apologize and I'll let you go."

He finally ripped away, "Oh, you'll pay dearly for this…"

"Aw, come on, don't cry. Your tears might freeze solid in this weather."

He walked away in a huff, presumably to get his hand patched up. Cadmus kept heading towards the wooden heart of the base, where Genevieve's room was. Of course he regretted his decisions, people were now actually starting to get hurt because there was no one to fashion clothes. (He would probably feel worse if it was someone _other_ than Paramedic). Maybe he should start making clothes.

Of course, he may have been a half-decent crafter and smithy, able to do stonecutting, slag melting, and make swords for people. But he wasn't sure how he'd do with clothes. It wasn't a question of _how_ , it was a question of what. Since he was either wearing hyperweave or synthread all his life, he had no idea which fibers from what animals constituted to what. They needed an expert, and they needed one badly.

Toni might have known more, but she was only free during the winter, which was almost halfway over at this point. Come spring, and she would be out in the fields once more, gardening. Giving her a permanent occupation such as tailoring would give rise to just as many problems as it would solve.

"Jeez…well…the crematorium's done." Cadmus smiled as he walked inside Genevieve's room, "Took quicker than I expected, and what do ya know? I even got some entertainment from Paramedic out of it, too."

He couldn't even see Genevieve at first. But of course, that was because he was expecting to see her at her desk. He finally saw her on the floor, sitting directly in front of the heater. Her hands were out towards it, like it was a fireplace.

"Hey, Genevieve." He got closer to her, "You okay?"

She sniffed, as tears rolled down her face, she was shuddering slightly, trying to get closer to the heater.

Cadmus looked down in defeat, "I know…it's cold…I screwed up…I should have had Toni make clothes or something…damn it…I'm sorry…I didn't mean for things to turn out this way…"

She shook her head burying her face into her arms and sobbing quietly.

"Uh…this…this goes _beyond_ the cold…doesn't it?" He asked. He looked over to Lady, who at first he thought was napping. But she was awake, with a forlorn look on her face. 'I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't listen' is what Lady's expression was saying. She looked very worried for her master.

"…we're going to be stuck here forever…" Genevieve sniffed.

"Hey, that's not true." He put a hand on her shoulder, "Everything's going to be fine. You're doing a great job here, alright? We'd all be dead if it wasn't for you."

"…I…I feel so lonely…I…I just…I need someone…"

"I mean…don't be afraid to take breaks every now and then. Hang out in the dining hall…or…hell, I mean the rec room too. That's why Jack and I built it. You don't have to work yourself to death like this."

"No…I mean…I…I want someone…"

"Oh…like…like…"

She grabbed his shoulders back, fiercely. Which made Cadmus jump in itself, as Genevieve was very formal, polite woman. Was the cold and her own mental demons dragging her down this much? "I want what you and Phoebe had…" She whispered.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…let's…let's press pause here." Cadmus said, "You do _not_ want what Phoebe and I had. That was just a bunch of risky sex, broken promises, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings. That is in no way how you even _attempt_ to run a relationship."

"Still…" She said, "Just a…just a _taste_ …of that…"

"No, not even a taste is worth it." He said, "Jeez…come on…you're better than this. You deserve more. You deserve the best type of relationship out there."

"What…what even is that…Cadmus?"

"I don't know, but one day we'll figure it out. Hopefully soon."

Genevieve kept weeping, Lady would look from Cadmus to Genevieve, keeping up with their conversation.

"Look, if you have cabin fever or something like that…then you can just go outside for a few minutes. I feel like you work yourself to death, and it—"

"I don't care about going outside." She said.

"You don't? Then…" He sighed.

"I just…I just want to be happy around others…"

"I mean, how often have you talked to the other members? Some of them are pretty cool. There are a few bad eggs, but…Jack, Redfields, Toni, Addy, they're not bad people."

"I didn't mean friends…I meant…"

"A girlfriend?"

Her cheeks went pink, "You…you know that I'm…?"

"Phoebe told me." He said, "Back when we were together."

Her shoulders sunk, as she kept quivering, "It's pointless anyway…"

"I mean, like I said before, there's Addy. I think she indirectly told me that she likes women."

She looked at him, "She's _fifty_."

"Oh." He said, "Right…oh yeah…"

She rolled her eyes, then she said, "I'm just…being unprofessional…I'll get back to work." She sniffed.

"Don't push yourself." He blocked the way to her desk, "You need to care about yourself as much as you care about the rest of us." He said, "Set aside some time to make some friends with the other members. It isn't as hard as you think."

She wrapped her arms around herself, "I'm not…I'm not sure if I can…" She said in a tiny voice.

He was confused by this at first. It was just talking to someone and striking up a rapport, what was so hard by it? "You don't think you can trust other people, do you?"

She nodded.

"So that's how it is?" He asked, "What happened to you, Genevieve? What made your shell so thick like this? What drove you to hide away from others, protected by a professional mask? Why are you the woman you are today?"

She didn't answer any of his questions. A pause went by for a few moments. Instead, she asked him questions.

"What made you become the man you are today, Cadmus?" She asked, "What happened to you to mold you into the person you are? Everyone has their skeletons, what are yours?"

For some reason, those three questions hit him like a truck. He remembered his childhood, the days with his sister, Anastasia, before everything went wrong. He remembered Elspeth, the day he first met her, and the day they first fell in love. He fast-forwarded to when they crashed, and was duped into love _again_ by Phoebe. When would he get it right?

Bitterness consumed him for a few moments. Maybe his life was a joke. Maybe continuing onward was pointless. Even if he got back to a Glitterworld, or any civilized society, what would the point be? Who would be out there, waiting for him? Anastasia might be, but Elspeth sure as hell wouldn't. What did that leave him with? Maybe he was arriving at the same conclusion as Genevieve, but she was cleverer so she arrived to it first.

A loud blaring trumpet was heard from the other side of the room. Evidently, Lady was sick and tired of watching this conversation going nowhere, so she decided to butt in, almost literally. She stomped across the room and scooped Genevieve to a standing position with her trunk, giving her a hug.

Cadmus gave a weak smile as Genevieve cried and hugged Lady back. Sure, they were in the icy pits of hell right now, but their mascot wasn't going to give up, so why would they? Not much of a man of hugging himself, he decided to break his rule and join the duo in a hug, "We're all going to be fine."

* * *

Addy was both a very professional and patient woman, but even she had her limits.

Légua and Rego were showing little to no signs of improving. Perhaps the cultural barriers _were_ too big, and it was better off just to let them go. They were taking too much food as it was.

As usual, she was in the prison barracks, sitting on the edge of one of the extra beds, while Légua was sitting across from her on the edge of her own bed. Rego was meanwhile sitting on the edge of another bed not too far away. Rego would sit still, motionless, not moving or even speaking unless Légua gave the directive. Something Addy still didn't understand.

"So…tell me." Addy said slowly, "What did you do…back at your tribe?"

Légua squinted in thought, maybe she was trying to be proactive in trying to relate it to them, "I kept our purpose close to our hearts. I would spread our tales through the fire, keeping our lineages, knowledges, and histories to provide for future generations."

She nodded, "So…you had a leadership role, in the tribe?"

She nodded back, "Yes. Very much so."

It didn't surprise Addy. Légua was probably in her late twenties, her face pretty and charismatic, a strong warrior's build. And her voice, seasoned with a thick Spanish accent, was low-pitched and beautiful. She could see why others from the Confederation of Guaban followed her.

Now things started to make sense. Légua was a beloved leader of her tribe. Why would she go from that high on the ladder to being a common nobody here? Since she didn't know Légua's skills yet, she could be stuck with grunt work, for all Addy knew.

At least now she knew why Rego followed Légua with such devotion, such pride. It must have been a leadership and underling position. Or perhaps the two were just very close friends, it was hard to tell since Rego never talked.

"Please…I've been answering your questions for days and days now. Rego and I…we'd just like to go home…" Légua said.

 _Yeah, I bet Cadmus, Phoebe, and Genevieve would just love it if I told them that I released two prisoners after getting this far with them. Sorry, but it's not my call to release you._ Addy thought. She smiled, "Do you enjoy the food?"

"Perhaps…yes…" She said, "It tastes good."

"Everything we make is grown or hunted and cooked here." She said, "In a way, we're like you right now. Settling, trying to survive."

Légua looked distant, "No, I don't, I don't think so…we're too different. Our lives and cultures are not one and the same."

"What if I told you that if you joined the Elephant Kingdoms, you'd get to do basically the same thing you were doing in your tribe?"

"…then I would say I have a hard time believing that, miss."

"Okay, then why don't you refresh me then?" Addy crossed her arms, holding a hand out, "Floor's all yours."

Légua blinked, she just answered this questions, didn't she? A few minutes ago? "I…uh…teach others of our culture…the importance of our natural roots…the history of our people, and of the land. I am a knowledgeable historian where I was from."

"Indeed. And I'm sure most of my fellow colonists would love to hear about the land, the animals on it, and how nature works. It would be very helpful to them."

"Helpful?" She asked, "Are you mocking me?"

"Not at all." She smiled, "Did you know that one man here…hates animals?"

She recoiled, "Hates animals?" She asked, even Rego seemed to visibly react to that one, "But…but why? That's impossible. They share the planet with us, and endure the gods' gift of life with us. To hate them…is to…"

"He had to stop a war. A very bad man inflicted the animals with chemicals, turning them into machines."

"Oh…how awful."

"The war ended with everyone and everything, both human and animal, dead except for him. He barely survived. Of course, a struggle like that left a bitter gathering of scars across his heart."

"Of course…" Légua said, "All your friends…and all the animals…dead…how wouldn't it leave pain behind?"

"Maybe you could be the one to show him out of that darkness. Be the one to instruct him on animals and nature's true purpose."

"I could?"

"And that's just _one_ man. Think, if you have that much of an impact on him, how much impact you'll leave on all of us."

"I don't know…do you really think I can do that?"

"Of course I do." Addy said, "You strike me as a very bright woman, Légua. Both in terms of being smart, and optimistic. We could use a positive figure like you to help keep the colony's spirit alive." She said, "So what do you say, Légua? Would you like to join the Elephant Kingdoms?"

* * *

Later that night, Addy had very good news. Légua and Rego were now members of their faction.

"Holy crap, that's great!" Cadmus cheered, "We got two new members!"

"Welcome to our fold." Genevieve gave a small smile.

"I already showed them their bedrooms." Addy said, "They're quite pleased with them."

"Yes, they're so beautiful." Légua beamed, "I love them, I must thank whoever made them!"

Cadmus and Jack exchanged a glance, "Not used to this kinda attention." The latter said.

The former looked at Légua, "So what are you good at, Légua?"

"Hmm?" She asked, "I…told the tales of our people through the fire…I also made quite a bit of art for the tribe…and I'm very accustomed to cooking over the fire."

He thought about it, a third cook might be helpful, "Good. Then I'll build you a new stove and butchering table as soon as I can." He said, nodding towards Rego, "What can he do?"

Rego was a bit more bundled up than Légua. While Légua was wearing a jacket, Rego had on a parka and a wool cap, both made of a thick, black material. Nevertheless, Rego looked quite nervous with all of this attention.

"It's okay." Légua smiled, "Go ahead, tell them."

"Um…" Rego's accent was just as thick as Légua's, "I…I am good with…my hands…I'm good with making weapons…or…or stones…metal…clothing…"

They had a roaring celebratory feast when Rego said that.

* * *

"Everyone! Over here! Come quick!" Meowski shouted, though even then, it was still hard to hear her over the roaring festivities.

"What is it?" Toni asked, as everyone looked at the rancher.

"The muffalo…she's in labor!"

By the time everyone had gathered around the female muffalo, it had already slopped out its calf. Meowski got under it and helped the calf out. It was covered in slimy amniotic fluids, "Someone fetch a rag so I can clean it off!"

Addy ran off, returning with as much as she could find. She and Meowski cleaned off the muffalo calf. It gave a high pitched moo or two, wandering around aimlessly, until its mother guided it in the right direction.

Meowski held the calf up high, "It's a boy!"

Cadmus smiled as he watched everyone adore and beam at the new calf. They had a muffalo family now, and it would only grow bigger and bigger.

* * *

 **A/N:** A muffalo baby! Maybe it'll bring a spirit of rebirth back into the colony.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty! This one's…another heavy one, let's call it.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

The cold snap was persistent, but something else arrived to pair along with it. A psychic soothe, which was supposed to be the opposite of a psychic drone. A gracious mental effect that calmed and relaxed, rather than anger and irritate. Luckily, it was geared towards women, as they could really use it, after taking the stress from the psychic drone almost all summer.

He was headed towards a meeting, one that Genevieve had organized, in the old wooden dining room. She said it was about something important, but colony affairs seemed to be going better, if anything.

Three cooks were quite effective in churning out meals for all of them. And Rego had finally wiped the dust off the tailoring bench, being quite useful in making new and warm clothing for all the members of the faction. Toni meanwhile manned the extra stonecutting tables, and with Meowski and Toni at it, the amount of bricks they had was starting to reach very high levels (because they haven't really been building much recently).

When Cadmus entered the dining room, Genevieve was sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by most, but not all of the other members. "Ah, you're here." Genevieve said, "Well, we may as well get started now…if there are others sleeping, I'm not too inclined to disturb them."

"What did you want to talk about?" Jack asked.

"It's about our money, or silver, rather."

"Silver?" Cadmus asked, "Hey, thanks to that little mining trip, I basically brought us back up to eight-hundred coins, where we were before. Too bad there isn't anything left to mine, though."

"Yes, but I think that there's a way for us to keep making money forever, without it really being a problem. And the worst thing is how it was right in front of our faces. It's a plain as day."

"What is it?" Phoebe asked.

"Art." Genevieve said, "It's something that transcends all worlds, all cultures, all forms of life. It's a medium that many people enjoy, and not only that…"

"We could sell art to the traders in exchange for silver or for their expensive goods." Phoebe finished.

"Exactly." Genevieve said, "We can set up a sculptor's table in the workshop, and start having someone make art for us. We'll keep a few of the pieces we like to spruce up the base, and then we'll sell everything else. Money won't be a problem if we do this."

"Huh…I feel kinda dumb not thinking up of that myself…" Cadmus admitted.

"But who would we have do it?" Paramedic asked, "We barely have enough members to cover all the jobs we have. I don't think we can afford to have someone do nothing but art."

"I could do it." Toni volunteered, "I mean, in the winter…so…next winter then…seeing that it'll be Aprimay soon…"

"I could do it, when I'm not building or mining." Cadmus said, when everyone gave him a shocked look, he made a face, "What? Why is that so surprising?"

Paramedic rolled his eyes, "We don't want chunks of nonsense. We need good, cultured art. Save your jokes for later…"

Cadmus frowned, "Alright. You'll see, I'll make art that'll sell for lots of money, just you wait."

Toni also looked a little shell-shocked that Cadmus knew a single thing about sculpting, "Okay…I guess we'll share it…then."

"Good." He said, "Oh, and let's make all the sculptures out of wood, for good measure."

"Wood?" She raised a brow, "Why? They'll sell for less."

"Yeah, but we have so many trees in this damn forest, it's not an issue. We'll never run out of wood." He pointed out, "We'll literally have infinite money if we take advantage of this system."

"Ugh. Cheapskate…"

"I also have another idea." Genevieve said, "But this is for when conditions are more…favorable…" She said.

"Oh yeah?" Cadmus asked.

"Yes. If we feel we don't get traders enough. We can go to their cities and colonies. By caravanning."

"I didn't think of that either."

"I asked some of the others…most of whom were former raiders…about where the friendliest factions were." She said, "Luckily, we have a few close by. So we'll be able to travel to and from there in a day. Except during winter, as the snow will impede travel."

"Hmm…you know, while we're on the subject of selling crap…there are those shitty bows the last raiders used." He said, "We could probably sell them, cause they'll be useless." He said, when Légua made a face, he laughed nervously, "I mean…not that…not that…bows are _bad_ …it's just…technology has improved…since then…and…someone's gonna teach ya how to use a gun. Right? We got someone on that? Right?"

"I'll put it into consideration." Genevieve said, "That's all I had to say, you're free to do as you wish."

* * *

Rego had never seen an electric tailoring bench before. Tribespeople were accustomed to making mostly everything by hand.

Since then, it had been a task to divide up the materials to make good and warm clothes for everyone. Mostly all the colonists needed a new set of clothes, their current sets were getting worn-out or torn. In addition to that, they needed a lot of jackets and hats to keep them safe from the cold. Luckily for Rego, there were a lot of skins and furs to deal with, this seemed to be a faction that knew its way around hunting, at least.

A few people skipped out on the meeting Genevieve had. Most of them were night owls, but in addition to them was Rego, who didn't really enjoy talking in the first place, let alone being surrounded by so many people. So Rego got to work instead.

Muffalo wool would be saved for jackets and hats, the young follower of Légua was rather impressed that they had gathered so much. It certainly made the job a lot easier. Soon everyone would all be bundled up for the rest of the cold snap.

A wince, a pause, a bite of the lip. The man in red, Redfields, shot Rego a lot. One shot to the left foot gave quite the scar. Rego was still trying to deal with the leftover pain. It could have been worse, things would be fine.

"There you are." Rego heard a voice. It was gruff and scratchy, so it was most likely Cadmus, "You missed the meeting."

"S-Sorry…" Rego said sheepishly.

"It's all good, working on those clothes, buddy?" He smiled and saw the progress being made.

A small nod. They were both interrupted by a high-pitched moo, as the muffalo calf nuzzled against Rego's leg, taking a liking to the new recruit.

Rego jumped, "Pharaoh!"

"Pharaoh?" Cadmus wondered aloud.

Rego gave a timid nod, "He…he likes me…so…so I gave him a name…he…he was in here all day…watching me make clothes…"

"Pharaoh…that's a pretty cool name." Cadmus said, getting down to the baby muffalo's level, "What do you think of that? Cool name, huh?" When the baby muffalo mooed back, Cadmus pet its head and gave it a hug.

* * *

She honestly hated going outside at this point. This had to have been the longest cold snap in the history of history. Sure, Rego was making clothes for them all at this point, but it was basically too little too late. They'd be prepared for the _next_ cold snap, which was all great and fine, but luckily, there didn't seem to be any serious casualties from this cold snap. (Unless you count the back of Paramedic's hand, which he made sure to constantly remind everyone in earshot).

There actually were quite a few jackets and parkas made at this point. Hell, Toni was wearing a new set of clothes, but she didn't feel right taking the available coats yet. She wanted to wait until everyone else was fully protected from the cold first. She didn't want to be selfish. So here she was, outside, trying to get a stupid stone chunk, freezing half to death.

She was shaking so much, and her vision was blurring in front of her. This was more than just a little hypothermia, wasn't it? She really wanted to curse Cadmus's name out, for being such a poor planner. She felt like she was going to be sick, or faint.

There was no way she would be able to drag this stone chunk all the way back to base. She was moving slow enough as it was through the thick snow, and she was trembling with every step. She was much too far away from the base, she needed to get back now.

Then she saw what she didn't want to see. All over again. Like it was a cruel, sick joke towards her sensibility. A muffalo, on the ground, dead. Being a bear's latest dinner.

The only difference was that this time, the papa muffalo wasn't going to take his lover's death without a fight, and started a battle with the bear. But it was mostly one-sided, and the muffalo looked about inches away from death too.

Toni swallowed hard, if she ran now, they'd have two dead muffalo on their hands. She pulled her sword out. Let's try for one.

Then she _actually_ tried taking a step, and that's when things started to get even blurrier. She was the muffalo's only hope, but it was like someone woke her up from a deep sleep, with a hangover on top of that.

By the time she got there, the father muffalo dropped, and the bear had two dinners. Toni grit her teeth as tears burned into her eyes. She gave a piercing scream, giving the bear a slash from behind.

It was better than her club assault, that was for sure. It left a bloody wound. But one could only wonder how much more of a mark that charged, ready-to-go, non-hypothermia, fresh Toni's slash would be.

The bear turned around, looming over Toni. It made short work of her. She was mauled, the bear seeing her as nothing more than a potential third meal. Toni screamed, doing what she could to fight back, but the bear's teeth sunk in with razor-sharp and frightening efficiency. He was gashing her open more than even the previous bear did.

By the time others noticed what had happened, Toni was incapacitated if they were _lucky_. "No…" Cadmus said. Unlike most of the raids and manhunter packs that came before them, mostly all the members came out for this one, barring Légua and Rego, who no one wanted to get hurt after so quickly joining the fold.

Lady came to Toni's rescue again, giving the bear an unforgiving look as she scooped Toni up. Lady then trotted away from the bear, taking Toni to a hospital bed. Her look said it all. 'I'll let them deal with you'.

Cadmus snarled and clenched his fists, "Addy, Paramedic, go see if you can patch her up. The rest of us will charge this damn thing."

Addy and Paramedic nodded, and left as soon as they entered. Cadmus ran for the bear first, swinging his axe out wide.

This bear wasn't messing around, at all. Its paws circumvented Cadmus's armor and got into his flesh. Cadmus grit his teeth, it was the most blood he'd seen gushing out of him in a while. He punched the bear, it did nothing more than momentarily distract it, but that was his aim. As if the bear wondered why a human would be stupid enough to punch it, Cadmus swung his axe down like a mighty gavel, opening up a huge scar on its body.

That wasn't all, their gunners were filling the bear full of holes. Phoebe using her bolt-action rifle, Jack using his shotgun, and Genevieve and Redfields using their revolvers.

The bear stumbled back, but evidently, it was just getting started. It gave a horrible, fear-inducing roar, as it once again barreled towards Cadmus.

"Bring it on!" Cadmus screamed, holding his ground. However, it wasn't enough, and the bear flattened Cadmus, looking perfectly content to eat him alive as he had tried with Toni. "Damn it…" Cadmus thrashed, wincing as the bear bit into him. He heard the gunshots going, he knew his friends were _trying_ to help, but given how big the bear was, it was going to take a lot of damage to fell him.

Meowski finally found an opening for herself. She positioned herself behind the bear, "Take this, ya damn sidewinder!" She batted at its behind with her club, trying to aim for where Toni hit it earlier.

"Damn it, Meowski, you can't attack a bear with a club! It's suicide!" Cadmus yelled.

"Gosh darn it city slicker, I'm tryin' to save your life!"

Cadmus blinked, realizing what she was doing. He scrambled back to a safer distance, his entire body screaming in pain with all the bloody scars all over it. Sure enough, the bear looked back and forth from Cadmus and Meowski, trying to figure out which one it wanted to finish off.

"Alright, it's distracted! Meowski, if you and I fence it in, it might pass out. Everyone else, keep shooting! We gotta finish this thing!"

The bear decided on attacking Cadmus again, but by then, it was too late. There were too many holes in its battered body, soon enough, the bear collapsed. A hearty meal sure to last for ages, but that was just about the only good news one could make out of this.

* * *

He had gotten pretty banged up after that fight. He sat up, in his bed, all patched up. He was offered, no, directed, to stay in the hospital with Toni, but he refused. Part of him wanted to give her privacy, another part of him was too scared to hear the words 'we couldn't save her.'

Fear lurched in his heart when he Genevieve enter the room. Paramedic and Addy had done a quick cleanup on Toni, and stopped the bleeding, but they left the assessment up to Genevieve.

Cadmus felt a lump in his throat, "So…so how is she…?"

Genevieve took a deep breath, "Both our adult muffalo have been killed, they and the bear are now in the freezer."

"Yeah, and what about Toni?"

A pause went by, one that felt like it would last forever.

"The bear took her left hand."

He felt a chill, feeling mortified, but he played it off, "So? That's it? Just a measly hand? Pfft…she'll be fine. Old tough Toni. She'll be fine. She'll just…use the other hand."

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than you're implying."

His shoulders melted in defeat, he looked at the ground, "This is all my fault…thanks to me…the entire working order of the damn faction turned upside-down."

"That's not what I intended to say."

"But it's my fault, no matter how you look at it." He frowned, "Toni wasn't fighting that bear. A Toni-sickle was. She'd be at full strength if I told them to make clothes just a _little_ earlier. She could have beat the bear, or run away. But now all that's history."

"Even if she was in perfect condition, no human can kill a bear alone. It'd be almost impossible."

"Does she even know what happened?"

"No." She sighed, "She's been unconscious for quite some time. Don't get me wrong, she'll eventually wake up, but…the hand…was just gone. And without it, she'll be severely challenged with all the jobs she has…"

A small moo was heard, as Pharaoh nudged the door to Cadmus's room open. He walked over to Cadmus, nuzzled his leg.

Cadmus's eyes went glossy, "And now…this guy's family…his parents…" He got down to the muffalo calf's level, hugging it, "He…he doesn't even understand!" He said, "It's my fault…all my fault…I…I take full responsibility for this. If you want to kick me out of the faction…then…it might even make some people happy…"

"Cadmus, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I'm just…trying to relay the message to everyone. I'm trying to warn them that…Toni may wake up…and feel broken-hearted. She probably wanted to save both the muffalo. And she came out of it with a handicap. She's going to be bitter, resentful. We need to make sure she doesn't become disillusioned with us and our cause."

He nodded. Genevieve raised a good point, no one was going to be in a worse mood about this than Toni. And if they weren't careful, she'd be left behind. They couldn't leave anyone behind like that.

He squeezed Pharaoh again, who was getting sleepy in his arms, "I think from now on…whether it's one muffalo or ten. We should train them. All the muffalo. To fight back."

She blinked, "I'm…not sure how much of a difference that will make." She said, "Honestly, even if it was combat trained, a muffalo couldn't beat a bear. Maybe smaller predators, but not a bear."

"Then I'll take care of Pharaoh." He said, "Let me look after 'em. I'll train him, make sure he knows to stick up for himself." He said, "I mean, I'm not as good with animals as you and Meowski are…but…I think muffalo are friendly enough to be trained by basically everyone."

"As you wish." Genevieve said, "As for me, I believe I'll retire to bed. You can do what you wish with Pharaoh, just make sure he's safe."

"I will." He said as she left, hugging the muffalo calf, who at this point was indeed asleep, "I won't let you die Pharaoh." He said, "You're gonna grow up, big and strong, and you'll be the pride of the colony. Next to Lady, of course."

The ensuing nights were bitter and unforgiving. Not because of the cold snap or anything, no. It was because of the sobbing. The shrieking, hysterical cries of Toni. When she finally received her rude awakening, it wasn't received with any grace whatsoever. Cadmus was heavy-lidded, with bags under his eyes, for most of the next few nights, well into springtime. If the noise didn't keep him awake, than the guilt surely did. Maybe she was crying because she couldn't save either muffalo. Maybe she was crying because of her missing hand. Probably both. This was an unforgiving, hostile world they had landed on. And the reminders, while very few and far in between, were deadly.

* * *

 **A/N:** Damn, things are getting intense around here (mostly because I had no idea what I was doing in my first Rimworld file, so if anything, it makes for great storytelling). Hmm, speaking of which it seems the story's about a third of the way done now. Thanks to everyone who stuck around reading it!


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty-one! A new year for all the colonists, news tasks and challenges ahead of them!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

With the cold snap finally gone, the psychic soothe was now a bit more noticeable. As spring arrive, most of the snow had melted away, though it still quite raw and cold out, for the time being. Because of that, only some of the members abandoned their winter gear, others would most likely keep theirs on for the time being until spring decided to be a bit kinder to them.

It was now Aprimay of fifty-five-oh-two. The start of their third year here.

Like the case with a few days ago, Genevieve had asked for a meeting in the old wooden dining room. This time, everyone was _required_ to come. Despite this, only ten out of the eleven members showed up. And the absentee was quite obvious immediately. A certain loudmouth, yet kind criminal surgeon they'd all come to know.

Genevieve sat at the table. For a semi-introvert, she was rather skilled at keeping up a public and professional appearance, skillful enough to hold these meetings. Perhaps she was intending to make these meetings occur one a quadrum, or at the very least once a year. "Alright, I'm glad everyone could make it. I just wanted to lay out some of our plans for this year."

"Let's hear it." Meowski said. With the exception of the three captains and Paramedic, everyone was wearing a new set of clothes by now. They were all inadvertently showing off Rego's handiwork in the faction. Meowski had on a brown deerskin shirt, and pigskin pants. (Rego also made her a parka, but she only wore it in the tail in of the cold snap. It was now hanging up inside one of the stockrooms).

"For starters, there are my imminent research projects. Most of them involve new types of guns which I can then learn to fashion." She said, "I'm sure that may make some of you elated. We'll be able to defend ourselves much better with that machining table constantly churning out new firearms for us."

Cadmus gave a quite nod from his side of the table. It was true that, when the machining table was first built, they could hardly do anything with it. Since then, over the tail end of last year, Genevieve drew up the raw materials on how to create revolvers, pump shotguns, bolt-action rifles, autopistols, machine pistols, heavy sub-machine guns, and even the fiery incendiary launcher. But to be honest, most of these guns sounded either too weak for the materials they demanded, or they already had guns like that anyway. Cadmus preferred waiting for more of Genevieve's research.

Besides, that would undoubtedly cost resources. In terms of steel, they were under a-thousand units, which, back in the day, Cadmus loved it when they had a-thousand units. But now, triple-digits meant that it would fall all the quicker. And they only had twenty electric components left. He would have to mine very soon. Or else Genevieve would be finished researching guns altogether, and then it would be on him to get them made. He wouldn't disappoint the colony again, not after what happened last time.

Meowski smiled, "Guns are a pretty good step in the right direction." She said, "I would much rather have one o' them then this club."

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited to see what you come up with, Genevieve." Jack smiled as well. He had a new muffalo wool shirt, and pigskin pants. (Honestly, they hunted a lot of wild boars, so a lot of them were wearing pigskin). He also had a muffalo wool parka that is hanging up somewhere in the base.

"I'm glad you all think so." Genevieve said, "Then…there's the matter of…her…after the accident…"

"You mean Toni." Addy said. Her outfit was mostly made of white cloth. Aside from her new gazelle leather top, all of her clothes were cloth. She also had a cloth duster on, which honestly made her look more professional, if anything.

"Yes indeed." Genevieve said, "We might have to…drastically reduce her workload, as it were. It's unclear how much she'll be able to get down with one hand yet. And…even if she does…she won't be in a pleasant mood for a while."

It made sense. Toni was either lying up, recovering, or sulking. And who could blame her? She only had one hand now, who knows what sort of psychological damage it could leave on her?

"You know, I've been thinking about this." Cadmus said, "Paramedic."

Paramedic looked over at Cadmus, a bit surprised. It was beyond obviously clear that the two of them hated each other, only willing to set aside their distances during emergencies.

"You're good at gardening, right?"

"Correct."

"I want you to help Toni with the garden, until further notice." He said, "Those plots are all way too big for a single person with only one hand to tend. I want you to oversee it." He said, "And this is serious. Cause she's gonna insist and insist that she can do it just fine, and she'll put on that try-hard attitude that she always does, but even though she won't admit it, she'll need help."

"But then we'll be down to two cooks." Phoebe said.

"Two cooks should be fine, for now." Cadmus said.

"It's…it's going to be a change, that's for sure." Genevieve said, "She might have some sort of trauma with animals now, or…at the very least…bears."

"We might have to be more proactive when going outside, then." Redfields said, "We need to really look and see where the predators are, and hunt for them before they hunt us." He was still wearing all that red clothing. His old green pants were gone, probably the skin of some reptile or something. And he was now wearing goat hide pants. However, his red clothing looked rather, tough, almost in the same league as Hyperweave or Synthread. Seemed to be a not half-bad insulator, too.

"Hey, Redfields…" Cadmus said, "Mind if I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" Redfields asked, "Go ahead."

"What's all that red clothing you're wearing? What's it made out of?"

"Well this is Devilstrand." Redfields said, "It's one of the toughest fibers out there…comes from mushrooms."

"…you mean we can grow it?"

"Pretty sure, but it's far from the easiest crop."

"I read into it as well." Genevieve said, "We could certainly implement a plot of it, and then all of our clothing would be tougher."

"I could tell Toni about it, if you want." Redfields said.

Cadmus shook his head, "Maybe not this year…we're gonna have enough trouble keeping the six plots up as it is…"

"Fair enough."

"That's…so sad though…" Légua said, "Will she…will she hate animals forever?" She asked. She was wearing a silvery top and white pants, it was hard to tell which animals the materials for that came from. Rego, on the other hand, was still bundled up in a parka and hat. Maybe Légua had more endurance to the cold than Rego did, "I can teach her…about how great they are, I really can! She needs to be connected to nature."

"I don't know about that, Légua." Cadmus said, "She kinda had a thing against animals _before_ all this bear stuff happened to her."

Speak of the devil, and Toni entered the room, in a new gazelle leather shirt, and deerskin pants. She quietly sat down, trying to more or less hide the nub that was now her left hand. Everyone tried not to stare at her, but this evidently proved difficult.

"Toni." Genevieve smiled, trying to break the ice, "We were just finishing up our meeting. You can take it easy for the next couple days. Just try and relax and get back into your flow."

Toni gave a nod, with a tiny, "Okay."

The meeting disbanded, and everyone began to split off to their stations, but not until Paramedic started making a ruckus.

"Phoebe, my love, we have endured the hardships of winter, the attacks of rabid foxes, and foolish tribespeople! Most of all, we have endured the idiocy of poor leadership! But I believe our love can travel to future boundaries. It can become stronger so we may no longer feel any pain!" He fell to one knee, "Phoebe, will you marry me?"

A chilled pause filled the air. No one saw that coming, least of all, Phoebe. A full minute or two went by before something happened.

Phoebe walked right past him, leaving him kneeling there like a fool, "No." She said quietly, walking off.

To cover the awkward silence that followed, everyone tried to escape the scene of the crime quickly. All except Cadmus, who was walking towards the kneeling Paramedic, rather than away from him.

"Easy come, easy go." He put a hand on his shoulder, "Guess I should relocate you back to your old bedroom, huh?" He smiled.

* * *

Out here would be far enough. It was still a bit chilly out, around the forty degree mark, but this was _heaven_ compared to all that cold snap hell they all went through before.

The bucket of potatoes was heavier than Cadmus thought. He set it down, watching Pharaoh come after him. "Alright buddy, ready to play?"

Pharaoh gave a tiny moo, ramming into Cadmus's legs and nuzzling them. "Aw…" Cadmus bent down and gave him a hug. There was a chance that he was very lonely now, what, with his mother and father both dead. But Cadmus was going to make sure that he felt loved.

He tossed a potato up in the air, it would land back in his hand, "Alright, if you follow me around, I'll give you this potato, sound good?"

Pharaoh looked confused, even more so than when Cadmus started backing away. Pharaoh inched closer towards him.

Once he caught up, Cadmus snickered, "Good boy." He got to his level and held the potato out for him. Pharaoh ate it happily. "Hey, careful." Cadmus said, "It's bigger than you think, don't eat it too fast."

Cadmus tried a second time, getting another potato out from the bucket. He started backing away, "Alright. Come on Pharaoh, follow me on the adventure."

Pharaoh kept wandering towards Cadmus, only to move away at the last second and eat some grass.

"No, don't eat the grass!" Cadmus waved his arms in the air, "I have a perfectly good potato right here!"

A high-pitched laugh was heard, he turned to see Toni, holding her stomach from laughing so hard.

Cadmus walked over towards her, putting the potato in his pocket, "Ah, looks like we got a spectator, Pharaoh." He said. Pharaoh couldn't have cared less, he was too busy enjoying the grass. But Cadmus wasn't that surprised. This was probably his first time tasting grass, since he was born in the winter.

"So you're training that muffalo calf?" Toni asked. Her voice was a bit quieter, more distant, ever since what happened.

"Pharaoh. His name is Pharaoh." Cadmus said, "And yeah, might as well. I feel like muffalo are pretty tough."

"Has anyone trained a muffalo before?"

"Not here, at least." He said, then he was rammed from behind. Pharaoh banged his head into him, nuzzling him, "Hey! No head-butting your friend. Unnecessary roughness! Foul!"

Toni laughed and laughed, as Pharaoh kept nuzzling Cadmus's legs.

Cadmus gave up and gave him the potato in his pocket anyway, "It's good to see you laugh again." He crossed his arms.

Toni crossed her arms as well, insecurely, she averted eye contact, "I'm fine…" She said quietly.

"So how's gardening with Paramedic?"

"Fine…I guess…" She said, "He doesn't know how to plant healroot…"

"Hmm, funny that the medical genius doesn't know crap about healroot." He said, "Guess he's not the all-knowing gardener we all though he was."

She shrugged, "So I've been focusing on the healroot, while he does the other plots."

"I also forgot, today's the best day of my life now. Paramedic made a fool out of himself in front of Phoebe and she dumped him."

"Yeah…I was there…" She deadpanned, "He's like a zombie now…he just…plants stuff quietly…we should be careful around him."

"I've been saying from the beginning." He said, "Wow…and you agree with me, you think I'm _right_ —"

"Don't push it."

He shrugged, facing ahead, "Whoa…" He said, "What the hell are those things?" He asked, seeing a relatively large herd of brown herbivores, yellow sacs were all over their backs. They were grazing the nearby area.

"What? Those?" Toni asked.

"Okay, I need Jack to hunt those right now." He clasped his hands together, "The meat…the skins…"

"Wait, wait, wait. No." Toni said, "They're boomalopes."

"Boomalopes?"

"Uh-huh. They explode when killed. You wanna start a forest fire? You start hunting them."

"But…meat…"

"Ugh…there's _plenty_ of meat in the freezer…"

A pause went by, as Pharaoh nonchalantly chewed on the nearby grasses, "We'll get you a new hand."

Her cheeks went pink, but they faded, "Who says I wanted a new hand?"

"I mean…I didn't know you hated robotics or…whatever…but I doubt we can just grow you a new hand. On the other hand, it's Genevieve, so who knows."

"I don't want you guys spending thousands and thousands of silver on me. I'm fine."

"But Genevieve's a freaking neuroscientist." Cadmus said, "She's _made_ for complex surgeries. And besides, you and I are going to be making art, so soon money won't even be an issue…"

"Oh yeah…the one-handed idiot making art…that should be good…" She sniffed.

His face hardened, "Toni, no one cares that you have one hand."

"…yes they do…now I…I can't do work…fast enough."

"It's fine. We can pick up the slack. We all know that you're going to work hard anyway. You're like, one of the most important members we have. If for some reason we don't get you a new hand on this rim world. We'll get you one on a Glitterworld. Cause let me tell you, it'll take about three minutes to do the procedure on a Glitterworld."

"…seeing a Glitterworld for the first time…would be nice…" She said, smiling, "Hmm…maybe Pharaoh doesn't have a shitty master after all."

"Course he doesn't. Has the best master ever, I'd say."

She rolled her eyes, "How's the training going?"

"I'm pretty sure he's obeying me now. So…he can take simple orders."

"So are you going to teach him to go out and attack stuff yet?"

"Nah…he's too young and small. He'll get killed…I'll wait until he grows up for that."

"Good." She chuckled, "Then maybe he'll come to his senses about having you as a master."

"Hey!"

* * *

Redfields made sure everything was lined up correctly. He was outside the base, balancing a few pieces of trash on a flat rock. (Not exactly soda cans, but what was he going to do?) He held his revolver firm, walking back to where the two tribespeople were watching, "Alright, so guns…are…and advancement of bows and arrows, you could say." He aimed his revolver out, shooting one of the pieces of trash aside.

The tribespeople flinched when the gunshot went off. "How…how does it do that?" Légua asked.

"It's simple…really." Redfields said. He held up a fresh new bullet, and the gun itself. "This bullet, goes into the gun." He reached for the cylinder in the back, he rotated the chambers and placed the bullet in. He pulled the hammer back and aimed the gun out. "The hammer, back here, flings forward when you pull the trigger, down here." He tapped his finger on the trigger, "So the trigger sends the hammer flying forward, into the primer. The primer gives off an explosion, which rockets the bullet out through the barrel." He held the gun out, "You wanna try?"

Légua and Rego exchanged a glance. Légua reached out and took the pistol, holding out, "So…so what do I do?"

"Aim the gun to any of the pieces of garbage, and pull the trigger. That's how you shoot."

She gave a shaky, yet focused nod. She fired, sending one of the pieces flying.

"Nice, good job." Redfields patted her shoulder.

"I did it!" Légua smiled, "This is…this so exciting…" She said, handing the gun to Rego, "You try it."

Rego looked even more terrified than Légua did. Redfields took the gun back to reload it. "Take it easy, fella. It ain't that bad." Redfields said, "Just remember." He held a bullet in one hand, and the revolver itself in the other, "This is like the bow, and this is the arrow." He said, holding the gun and bullet respectively. "Go on, try it."

Rego held the gun out, hands shaking as the gun was pointed forward.

"Nerves will make it harder to aim. Try to relax."

Rego swallowed hard, yelping when the shot landed, knocking another piece of garbage flying.

"Good job, you hit it!"

Rego shuddered, "I would like to go back to making clothes, please."

"Alright, go ahead, Rego." Légua said, Rego left, while Légua smiled at Redfields. "Thank you very much sir, for teaching us about guns."

"It's no trouble." Redfields holstered his gun, "Just basic colony defense. Soon you'll both have guns of your own, so it's best to keep you prepared."

She nodded, looking out into the distance, "My mind…it's keeps getting lost…it travels to that girl…the one who now hates animals…"

Redfields nodded, "She's had it rough, these last couple days, no doubt."

"How can a person be so cruel? Animals are nature's gifts to us…they do not do the things that do out of greed or spite, like humans do. They are simply abiding by nature. It is wrong for that girl to hold such a grudge against all animals for one accident."

He was taken aback, "Well…sometimes…it's not that people _hate_ animals…it's that they're afraid of them."

"Afraid?" She asked, like the word, the concept itself, was foreign to her, "Why would a person be afraid of animals?"

"Cause it leaves scars. Scars that…" He shifted uncomfortably, "Can be impossible to heal. Besides, I heard that wasn't Toni's first scrap with a bear, either."

"It wasn't?"

"Not at all." He said, "Did ya see those scars over her eye?" He tapped his right cheek for reference.

"Yes…I think it makes her look like a fearsome, strong warrior."

"Well, she got that from a bear too. And another bear just tore her hand off now."

"Those are…unfortunate circumstances."

"Now you tell me this. If you spent a good portion of your life, getting hunted by something, or someone…it'd leave an impression, wouldn't it?"

"Of…of course it would."

"Like you with us. You thought we were gonna hurt you, didn't you? That's why you refused to join at first."

"Yes…Rego and I…we distrusted the spacemen…"

"But we're not hurting you at all, are we?"

"Well…no…"

"So then why did you think we would?" He asked, but he answered for her, "It's because since you were a little girl, you fought spacemen all your life. To defend your land, your people. And there's nothing wrong with that. You found it hard to believe that spacemen could be nice, they were always the enemy. You were just adhering to your beliefs."

"Yes…if it were not for Addy's persuasion…we would still be in prison."

"It's the same way with people not liking animals." He said, "Toni had two horrible experiences with them now, and who knows how many she had before she joined the Elephant Kingdoms. Fact is, having one person tell you this-and-that is good after being ingrained since you were a baby that this-and-that is _bad_ isn't gonna fix anything overnight. Sometimes it takes years to reverse that kinda thinking."

She nodded, quiet for a little bit, "I feel a bit foolish now…like I spoke hastily, on Toni's regard."

"Don't worry about it." Redfields said, "It's good that you want people to change for the better. You're a very hopeful woman, and you have a good heart. Your intentions were good, and I honestly do believe that Toni may come around and have a connection with animals once again. Especially with you here."

Her smile grew, "Thank you. You are quite the wise man, Redfields."

He snickered, "Wise, huh? That's the first time anyone's ever said that about me!" He said, and they both laughed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Bit of a lighter, fluffier chapter, after all that drama. Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty-two, the threats of the third year begin to emerge! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Rimworld

* * *

There was a pesky spring rain out, dampening (no pun intended) the spirits of the typical outside workers. Aside from that, however, in a rare moment, things were relatively peaceful.

At least the new year was providing them with a constant workflow, one that worked too, despite the recent calamities the faction faced. Cadmus was the lead builder, but as there wasn't much to build recently, he had been mining instead. Most recently, he had finally started working on some art. Hopefully, some of it would sell and they could get more silver. Phoebe was still the resident chef, cooking meals for them each day and night. It was no secret that she hated her job, but it needed to be done. The effect it had on her day-to-day activities was unknown, as she seemed very withdrawn and quiet compared to the first year of their arrival. She had become even more aloof ever since she coldly rejected Paramedic's proposal. Genevieve on the other hand, kept researching as she always did, unstoppable and unflappable in finding new ways to make life easier for them all.

With one hand, Toni was much slower at growing, but she attacked it head on. Though she was fearful as to what her activities were going to consist of in the winter. She usually crafted, either that or follow through on that promise of making art, but with one hand, doing either task would take a while. Meowski was still stonecutting, the same job she had since she had joined the faction. She used to milk or shear the muffalo, but Pharaoh is too young to be sheared, and couldn't produce milk. Jack often constructed with Cadmus, but when there was nothing to build, he hunted, or he played as a backup cleaner.

While there were no prisoners to reason with or animals to tame, Addy typically cut trees down. The wood would be used for future sculptures. Redfields was there famed nightly cleaner, who kept the base spotless with his efforts. And Paramedic, while he used to cook, now gardened with Toni, to balance out the fact that she was missing a hand. It was hard to tell how his mood was as well, he seemed nearly as silent as Phoebe was after all the drama that unfolded a few days ago.

Then there were the two new (or not so new, anymore) recruits. Légua assisted Phoebe with cooking, or else there would be no way for Phoebe to cook for the entire base by herself. And Rego largely made clothes, and when no one needed a new outfit, there was stonecutting to fall back on. Who knew, Rego was most likely going to start making guns once Genevieve was finished with her work with that.

Cadmus watched the outside rain with a bored look on his face. It was really coming down. He thought he should take a break from his art. He wanted his first sculpture ever made (not to mention _the_ first sculpture ever made) to be a grand one, but that had its own weaknesses. It took _days_ to work on. If he wasn't going to show results, then a lot of people were going to get mad at him.

"Why so glum, chum?" He heard a voice behind him.

"Jack?" He asked, "Yeah, it's gotta be Jack. No sane person would use that phrase."

Jack slugged him in the arm, "Take it back."

He rolled his eyes, then he looked ahead again, "Not sure how this rain is affecting my art."

"Yeah, it's been raining for days now." He said, "I was gonna go do something outside, but…it's raining…so I don't want to get too wet."

"If it's quick, I can help you."

"I was gonna go around and harvest all the healroot."

"What? But…but the healroot hasn't grown up yet. Nothing has." He was beyond confused. Did Jack hit his head or something? It was early spring, the crops were probably nothing but buds right now.

"No, no. _Wild_ healroot." Jack said, "I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier, but there's some wild healroot growing all over the place. Berry bushes too." He said, "Though…maybe they didn't grow up fully yet. Wanna take a look outside with me?"

"We'll get soaked."

"Yup."

"Damn it, Jack." He growled, then he smiled, "Count me in."

The two of them headed outside, getting pelted by raindrops. Pharaoh sensed the excitement and ran outside with them, mooing as the trio went outside.

Part of him was surprised. Things were coming a long way in the colony. They had lived longer here than he ever expected, hell, one could argue that they were _thriving_. And they could only go up from here. The more members they got, the more work they could get done.

Was he sad that they were there for over two years now? Yes, but, things weren't really that bad anymore. For someone who got married and then divorced, he could have had it worse. What worried him was how much longer they were going to stay here.

How many more years would pass by? Would he be old, wizened, gray hair? Would he be middle-aged? Would it happen in a quadrum or two? What if they were stuck here forever, would he hate it, would he be bitter?

He looked at the muffalo calf, doing its best to keep up, and he decided that he could've been worse off.

"Huh…" Jack said, "Doesn't seem to be any full-grown healroot…or raspberries anywhere…well that sucks…"

"I'm gonna freaking kill you."

"Aw…come on, you wouldn't kill old Jack…would ya?" He asked, ruffled a hand through Cadmus's wild hair, which at this point, was barely standing up, because of how heavy the rain was falling. "Whoa…" His eyes widened, "Why didn't you tell me there were boomalopes out here?"

Cadmus blinked, "But…they explode when they die…there's no point…"

"You let me worry about that." Jack winked, getting his shotgun out, "I know a life hack or two about these things."

Cadmus was puzzled, was Jack going to blow himself up?

Jack started hunting one of the nearby boomalope. After just a few shots, the large herbivore blew up. Cadmus expected a large fiery doom for them all.

But then he felt like an idiot because it was raining.

Jack laughed, "See?" He asked, "All you gotta do is hunt boomalopes in the rain!" He started hunting for the next one.

Cadmus laughed and laughed. Any little sparks or flames that the boomalopes produced were quickly put out with the rain. _Bam! Boom! Bam! Boom!_ Cadmus fell on the ground laughing, at Jack's brave hunting job.

* * *

Cadmus returned inside, heading through the halls, "Jeez…I'm gonna be freaking waterlogged all night now…" He said, heading to the dining hall to pick up a snack.

As usual, in the dining hall, he saw a smattering of people. In this case it was Genevieve, Addy, and Phoebe, all taking a break to either eat or relax. But what really caught Cadmus's attention was the big cat in the middle of the room.

"Uh…" He paused, pointing at it, "The hell is that?"

"Oh, while you and Jack were out…there was a trader." Genevieve said, getting down to the cougar's level and hugging it, "I bought this."

"Where were you anyway?" Phoebe asked.

"Long story." Cadmus said, "Let's just say that we'll have a lot of food now." He sat down at one of the tables, "So…so that thing's tame? It's safe?"

"Very safe, I assure you." Genevieve said, squeezing the cougar a bit more, "Isn't that right, missy?" The cougar gave a quiet meow and nuzzled Genevieve quite a bit, rubbing its face around everywhere.

"Hmm." He said. He had to admit, whatever it took to purchase it, having a guard cougar sounded like the best thing in the world. They were really rounding out their forces here quite nicely.

"I have to say, Genevieve, I'm quite jealous." Addy smiled, "Maybe next time I should try and buy a new pet myself. Pinky and Cassidy always love new friends."

"I'm sure this one and Lady will get along just fine." Genevieve said, finally giving the cougar room to breathe.

A shrieking call was heard. The four of them all flinched, "Damn it." Cadmus sprang up, "I didn't even get to eat."

"Who could it be this time?" Phoebe asked.

"Sounds…tribal…might be the Confederation of Guaban again…" He said, looking at Genevieve and Addy, "You two stay here, Phoebe and I will gather who we can and we'll go out." He said, "Unless you want to take that new kitty there for a spin."

Genevieve shook her head, "She hasn't been trained yet. I'll hold back for now."

He nodded, he and Phoebe running through the halls as fast as they could. Suddenly Cadmus's eyes bulged out, "Shit!"

"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked.

"Jack…I left him out there to hunt…he's down by the south of the base…if too many of them attack him at once, he'll be a sitting duck! We gotta hurry!"

The rain was still pouring as they exited the base. Cadmus was able to gather up Toni, Meowski, and Redfields, in addition to himself and Phoebe, but he had no idea how this was going to play out. The pestering rain was really slowing them down, and considering that no one could really see two feet in front of them, it made for a chancy game when it came to shooting.

Jack was already on the ground by the time they got there, with at least five arrows sticking out of his chest, blood all over him. The culprits seemed to be three tribespeople, two men and one girl. One of the men sported a large shotgun wound all over his torso, suggesting that Jack got at least one good shot off before he surrendered to the pain of that many arrows thrusting through him.

Cadmus scowled, seeing them attack Jack while he was down, "So that's how the great Confederation of Guaban works, huh? Kills people while they're down, like vultures?" He smirked, "I guess I could relate to that." He assaulted the nearest guy, hoping that he could keep them away from Jack, hoping also that there was still hope for Jack.

The tribesman was nearly sliced to bloody ribbons. He flew back, coughing up blood, as he aimed his arrow at Cadmus. All three raiders aimed at him, but he held his arms out, expecting to bear the brunt of the attack.

The rain was not playing in their favor, and they missed. Cadmus kept slashing at the maimed man before him, trying to get rid of him. Toni and Meowski meanwhile fenced in the other two tribespeople. This freed up Phoebe and Redfields to shoot from afar.

Toni faced the girl, slashing through her with her sword. The girl tried to attack back with her fist, but Toni dodged it easily.

Meowski clubbed the remaining bowman, and the bowman punched her back. The two of them traded blows for quite a while.

Cadmus sent his opponent's head rolling rather quickly with one swift slash to the neck, he turned at the others' progress. "Hey! One of you! Take Jack back to the hospital! See if he can get patched up!"

Redfields gave a hurried nod, slinging Jack up over his shoulders and running off with him.

He looked back ahead, it was for Jack. Besides, four versus two was still in their favor, after all.

Meowski grit her teeth as she clubbed the bowman for the umpteenth time. She would get hit back, but gradually, it would be her battle. She had a limestone club, and the bewildered bowman had his fists.

Of course, none of this mattered anyway. Because Phoebe scored a headshot, and blasted the tribesman's brains out. He collapsed on the ground.

This left only one tribesperson left, the young woman. However, she was quickly knocked back by another deadly sword slash from Toni. Meowski headed for Toni's aid, clubbing the girl on the head and knocking her out cold. She was unconscious, but alive.

Cadmus walked over to the lone survivor, throwing her over his shoulder, "Alright, let's get back inside."

* * *

"Jeez…man…you scared us all half to death…" Cadmus said.

"I know…I'm sorry…" Jack said, practically covered in green bandages from head to toe. The initial pain had faded in the ensuing days, to the point where soon Jack would be able to take all his bandages off. He and Cadmus were sitting in the grass, watching the quickly approaching sunset. Légua and Redfields were standing behind them.

"You should really get back in the hospital, you'll heal quicker."

"Hey, this is the first time the rain's stopped in I don't know how long." He argued, "I'm gonna enjoy the fresh air, and the view."

He shrugged, "I guess." He said, then he looked behind himself, "Hey, where did Redfields go?"

"Hmm?" Légua asked, looking to her side, "That's strange…he was right beside me a few seconds ago…"

"Maybe he went to take a leak or something." Cadmus faced ahead, "Jeez…but seriously…if you died to a bunch of arrows, that'd be pretty lame."

"Bullshit! If I died like that, it'd be pretty cool!" Jack said.

"You're the only other builder I've got. Don't you dare go dying on me."

Redfields came back, holding a cool cup of red berry juice, "Try this." He handed it to Légua.

Légua smiled, "Thank you." She took the glass, drinking a portion of it, "Mmm…wow…this…this tastes amazing!"

"I figured it'd be a little different than what you're used to."

"Uh-huh. We usually make juice from raspberries. So…this must be—"

"Strawberry." Redfields grinned, "Best I've ever tasted, too."

"Oh yeah, Toni really knows what she's doing out there." Cadmus said, "And Phoebe's the one who usually makes it into juice."

"I like it." Légua said, "I'll have to have her teach me."

Cadmus looked up, the night sky was beginning to show the stars, as the sun had finally made its exit, "You guys hear anything about the new prisoner?"

"Addy said her name was Termite or something like that." Jack said.

"Termite, huh?" He asked, "Interesting name…I guess. Hopefully she won't cause too many problems…"

"If she's from the Confederation of Guaban, perhaps I could talk to her." Légua volunteered.

"I don't know about that, Légua…Addy's the best talker we have."

"But I might be able to speak with her on a deeper level. I may be able to connect with her more."

"Hmm…" He said, then he gave a shrug, "If you wanna try it, then give it a whirl. Run it by Genevieve and Addy first…recruiting people isn't really my neck of the woods."

"Okay, I will."

Cadmus looked at Jack, "We'll have to build another spare bedroom, I'm guessing Termite will take up the spare we already have." He said, "On second thought…I could just do it alone…you need time to recover…"

"I'll try not to be laid up for too long."

"Take your time."

A door opening and shutting was heard, as Paramedic joined the four of them. He looked around, his eyes lost and solemn. He took a deep sigh, sitting next to Cadmus.

"Haven't seen you in a while, pal." Cadmus said.

Paramedic glared at the grass and dirt, "She…she left me behind…in the dirt…she…she _dumped_ me…"

"Yup."

"Why? Why did she leave me?"

"Does it to everyone."

"Yes…yes…it appears she does…"

He looked ahead, seeing Pinky and Cassidy, they were running around and playing. Pharaoh was running around too, trying to keep up with the huskies, even though it was a futile race, "The way I see it, you got two options." He said, "Give up and burnout, or…hold out hope…"

"Hold out…hold out hope?" He repeated, "God…I haven't felt this useless or afraid since my days as a soldier."

"You were a soldier?" Redfields and Jack asked at once.

He nodded, "A medical soldier. It was my job to patch people up, on the spot, in the field. I just…" He chuckled dryly, "Followed the blood, chaos, and body parts to my next target. I was one of the best field medics the service ever had."

"The medics in my corps were always friendly and professional." Jack said, "They really knew what they were doing. Every time someone was knocked down, they picked us back up again." He said, "That's how it's always been. My father, my father's father….my entire lineage. We wouldn't have gotten anywhere without the medics."

"The king made medical assistance a priority, in my days as his right hand." Redfields said, "Huh…didn't know there were so many accomplished soldiers right in front of my eyes."

"I was one too." Cadmus said, when everyone looked at him, he sheepishly added, "Kinda. A warrior…commander…captain…that's what I was doing before this big mess. I was a warrior in space. People either knew me by my looks or by my axe…"

"It's promising life, serving justice for others, and guaranteeing their freedom." Jack said.

"Well, I'm a bit younger than most of you guys." Cadmus chuckled, "I hope I'm still around to enjoy it like you." He said, and everyone laughed.

"I had no idea you were a warrior." Légua looked at Redfields, "Did you do your people proud?"

"I sure hope so." Redfields said, "The last battle we ever had was a stalemate…I was the only survivor…"

"Goodness…I'm…I'm so sorry…I shouldn't have—"

"It's no trouble. In fact." He smiled, "It was a tribe who saved me. I would have been dead otherwise."

"Really?"

He nodded, "It's how I got my name, Redfields."

"You're right…it does sound like something we would come up with. I like it very much, it's strong, resilient. It fits you very much."

A grunt or two was heard, as two large lumbering herbivores made their way to where the other animals were playing.

"Holy crap…" Jack's eyes went wide, and Redfields jumped back like a cat, "Dromedaries?"

"Hmm?" Cadmus asked, seeing a pair of camels indifferently look around, occasionally grazing.

"But what the hell are they doing here? They live in the desert, not the forest…"

"Maybe they're lost." Paramedic said quietly, "They seem to have been tamed by humans before, given how calm and relaxed they are around us."

Redfields nervously peeked out, hiding behind Légua. She turned her head, trying to see what was behind her, but Redfields avoided her eyesight.

"I'll be damned…" Cadmus said, standing up and smiling, "Lost huskies are one thing…but…but _this_ …ha, this is amazing!" He said, "We just got two freaking camels to join us! That's awesome!"

* * *

 **A/N:** I had a lot of interesting animals join the colony in my first file, between the dromedaries and the cougar. This might be it for a little while now, I'm not sure when I'll post again, it may be tomorrow, or a few weeks, but I'll see what I can do. Thanks for reading!


End file.
